Michaelis, The Demon King
by gobalbucs
Summary: Ciel never really took the time to understand Sebastian's past. However, when a malicious piece of that past returns, he soon finds that he must know everything, and that he and Sebastian must rely on each other like never before in order to survive. -On Hiatus
1. Prologue: Long Live The Demon King

**A/N****: Hello and welcome to Michaelis, The Demon King! This is my first Kuroshitsuji fan fic! :D**

**I just want to let you guys know that I totally twisted up the original plot of the manga/anime but if you guys like exploring that kind of alley way then read on! XD **

**WARNING: Uhhhh... I'm not entirely sure how to explain this but there IS yaoi in this fiction but... it's very complicated. **

**Well here goes: There will be yaoi but in later chapters it's not going to start right away. I'm not even quite sure how long it will take but probably a long time. It all depends on a lot of things. But anyway, I will warn you guys when it will be starting but if you don't like yaoi, you are free to read this until it comes into the story but once it does, you should probably leave :/ **

**When the yaoi does come in, it's complicated. All the yaoi pairings' relationships are complicated and most of the yaoi isn't actually done- it's implied sorta kinda. I think once we get there, you'll understand. Or I might just be overreacting. (I tend to do that a lot XD) **

**There is a little hetero romance in this too, just not as much as the yaoi. Here are the pairings: Sebastian/Ciel, Alois/Claude, Lizzie/OC, and Grell/Madame Red (By the way, the OC is a male- no yuri! XD) **

**Well, enough of my drabble. Introducing the prologue to: Michaelis, The Demon King! Enjoy! :D**

*******Disclaimer*********: I DO NOT OWN ANY KUROSHITSUJI AFFILIATED CHARACTERS/WORDS/SCENES/ETC.**

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><p><span>Prologue: Long Live The Demon King <span>

_Seal thy demon in a cold, heavenly wrath…_

That was what they chanted; the men of the four corners of this world.

The reaper, the angel, the demon, and the human.

All have come to banish a horrid creature from this world- The Demon King.

The Demon King has been a menace to each of the four worlds, as in each one he mercilessly and thoughtlessly slaughters everyone in his path. It was nothing personal. He had no quarrel or gripe with anybody.

He was simply afraid.

The Demon King killed anybody who stood in his path in every realm, be they human, demon, reaper, or angel. He terrified all and something had to be done.

Thus came together the four rulers of each realm: William T. Spears, the head reaper, Ash, the head angel, Daniel, the Prime Minister of the Demon Realm, and Henry VIII, the King of England.

The Demon King ran rampant in their worlds and finally, they gathered together to stop him.

It wasn't because the Demon King wanted territory or control- point of fact, that couldn't be further from the truth. The Demon King killed because he was afraid. He was afraid of death and he made quite clear to those who had escaped his claws that he believed the only way he could elude death forever would be to kill.

_In order for me to live, everyone else must die. I must kill in order to survive. _

That was his mantra. Just looking at it in context, it merely seems as though it was a very radical form of "survival of the fittest."

It is not.

The Demon King went out of his way to slaughter every living, breathing creature in their world so he wouldn't die by their hands. He truly believed that if he did not kill them first, they would kill _him_.

So he went around to every village, every city, and every inhabited area and massacred anyone there- young and old, sick and healthy, women, men, and even children.

He was dubbed Demon King because he was a demon and he practically conquered everyone around him in all four realms. He was extremely powerful and his strength far surpassed that of the Demon Prime Minister and even the angels.

Just by watching this demon you could never be able to tell he possessed such power. He was genuinely afraid of everything that moved. He was scared shitless at the very slightest of sounds. In truth, the Demon King was just one incredibly paranoid man.

The four men had gotten together and discussed the means of destroying this beast. They would try and try, individually, to fight him but would get nowhere. They tried fighting him when they were all rallied together and that failed as well. Although in that battle, the Demon King ended up turning tail and running.

There was only one thing left for them to do- not to kill him, but to seal him.

It was extremely risky but it had to be done. The Demon King had to be dealt with and that was the only thing they could think to do.

So on a rather chilly night, Henry VIII lured the Demon King out with his knights. When he was in line of sight, the four men jumped into action. They surrounded the Demon King, cutting off all escape routes, and began the sealing process.

_Seal thy demon, seal thy demon… _

They chanted over and over again. This process numbed the Demon King's nerves and muscles- he could not move. He screamed. He cursed. Nothing he could say or do would release him from this prison. He was slowly being brought to his knees.

_Seal thy demon, seal thy demon…_

The light of the full moon sliced through the darkness and rained down on the Demon King. He was a very tall man of about six feet, two inches and he had long, jet black hair that cascaded down his form and ended at just above his bottom. His tortured, cat-like eyes were bathed in a pink essence, his skin was a deathly pale hue, he had two long, vertical horns atop his head, pointed ears, dangerously sharp fangs protruded from his mouth, long, razor sharp black nails adorned his fingers, a large, purple insignia that was a symbol of the devil was etched into his left hand, and extending out of his back were giant, black, feathery wings with a span of five feet.

The Demon King was wearing a long, dark robe that was closed up from the waist down, clearly exposing his upper body, long black boots with pointed heels, and a long black cloak.

Finally…

_Seal thy demon, Seal thy demon… Seal thy demon in a cold, heavenly wrath!_

"AAAARRRRRRRGGGHHHHH!" The Demon King screamed out into the night as an armor of earthy rock began shooting up from the surface and gluing itself to his body. His arms and legs were soon pinned beneath. He found that he could not move any of those limbs while encased in the rock. He screamed aloud again.

The four men finished their chanting and just simply stood back to watch their work. They watched the rock envelope the Demon King. Soon, they realized, he would be no more- nothing more than a cold, dead statue.

The armor crawled its way up the Demon King's body. Very soon, it would engulf his face and complete its purpose. However, he would not take this one sitting down.

"You bastards! You will all pay for this! You may think I'm down, but I sure as hell ain't OUT! You can't kill me!" He yelled full volume over the sounds of rock yanking up out of the earth and crashing together. "I am invincible! I will not perish like this! I cannot die! I _will_ not die!"

The men stared at him, not saying anything. The Demon King continued.

"One of these days, one of these days I will return! I will return and when I do, you will all pay! Each and every one of you will pay! I'll kill you all! I'LL KILL YOU ALLLL!" The rock finally encased his entire body and his voice could no longer be heard.

Henry VIII looked to William and asked him: "Do you honestly think he will return?"

William was silent for a while, contemplating the question. Finally he answered: "Yes."

"Why? He's covered in rock," Ash inquired, sounding very confused.

"Because, as malicious as he may have been," he answered. "he never lies."

"You truly believe he will find his way out?" Daniel questioned further.

"Yes, and he will. The spell is only a seal it won't hold him forever."

"That's what it's supposed to do!" Ash explained, rather annoyed.

"You're right. But I know him and he is telling the truth. He will find his way back to the living world. What he will do when he releases himself, there's no telling. However, I doubt that he will do anything too far away from what he has done before now. It is just simply a matter of time."

"So what should we do?" Henry VIII inquired.

"We wait," William answered. "We wait however long it takes, and grow stronger. Prepare ourselves for his return and take every necessary precaution. With him, you can't be too careful."

_Approximately 3.5 centuries later…_

Deep beneath the ground under the structure of a large church, laid the statue of the Demon King. Gone, but most certainly not forgotten. The body inside the stone still lived; still breathed. He could still think.

_If I ever get out of this infernal cage, I will do everything in my power to change. _

_Who knows how long it has been, but in all the time I have had to myself to properly think without fear has done marvels. I can see now where I went wrong and how I can correct that. _

_If I ever get out of here, I shall be a new man. _

_**KILL. **_

_? What was that? That voice?_

_**KILL, KILL, KILL.**_

_I can hear it… it's directly above me. _

_**THEY MUST ALL BE KILLED.**_

_I can sense the pain… the hatred… the FEAR. _

The rock around the demon began to crack.

_It is summoning me… a soul that is condemned to hang in darkness. I must get to it. _

The statue began to shift and finally, began to shatter. A hand rose and clawed at the earth, and the man began to ascend upwards through the dirt. He pulled himself free of his earth prison and shot his way to the surface. With little effort, he reached the top and yanked himself out of the dirt and pulled his body all the way up and out. He stood atop the ground, realizing how much had changed in the years since his entrapment.

**KILL, KILL, KILL, KILL!**

_I must get to it… I must get to the soul! _

The demon shot his way through the structure, winding around statues and columns, blowing through doors until finally, he reached his destination.

He smashed through a giant pair of white painted doors and in an instant, slaughtered just about everyone in the room except for one- the one whose soul had called out to him, the one who would become his first meal.

Once they had all been killed off, he turned to the host of such a distressed, angry soul. It turned out to belong to a small child, a small child with midnight blue hair and frightened eyes. However, upon realizing he had summoned such a beast, his expression withered away to nothing, leaving only a stony cold stare in his eyes.

The former Demon King knew exactly what to do.

As black feathers began to shed from his body, he looked down upon the child and asked him: _"Do you wish to form a contract with me? Realize that once you do, the gates of Heaven will surely remain firmly closed to you. Your fate shall be sealed." _

The boy replied: "Do you think I have any other choice? That I would even be interested in such a thing as I have gone so far as to summon something like you?"

"_I'll ask you one more time. Do you wish to form a contract?"_

"Yes. Now stop asking these tedious questions and let me know if we have a deal!"

The Demon King smirked. _"Of course."_

"I shall be the new head of the House of Phantomhive. I must do whatever it takes to make sure that those who have done this to me will suffer the same level of pain and humiliation that I have felt."

"_You are to be the new earl of Phantomhive? Well now, I suppose I shall have to be something that would be suited for such."_

The feathers and smoke began to swirl around the demon and cloaked him in darkness. The child watched him with a piercing gaze.

Finally, the Demon King stepped out of the shadows in his new, _temporary_ form. His horns had shrunk into his head, his ears had rounded off, eyes widened some and lost their pink hue- instead replaced by a simple red-orange, and he wore more suited clothes. Instead of his robe, cloak, and heels, he was now wearing a jet black suit with a white undershirt, a black tie, and black boots. His hair had been cut considerably and now only came half way down his neck. He did however, sport long bangs down the sides of his pale face and straight down the middle.

The formerly known Demon King, one who struck ultimate fear and eventually death into the hearts of millions, was now reduced to nothing more than a servant to a mere child. If only for the sake of the delicious soul he would undoubtedly receive in the end, it would be worth it. He also promised himself that he would change if he ever escaped his prison. Now that he has, he intends to make good on that promise. After all, he _never_ lies.

"I am Ciel Phantomhive, and you are to be named Sebastian now," the child stated. "You are to be my sword and my shield. You will protect me, carry out my orders exactly the way I say them, and you will never lie to me. You will do this until I accomplish my revenge and you take my soul."

The Demon King smiled and bowed low to his new master.

"_Yes, my lord."_

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><p><strong><span>AN: Well, I think it turned out rather well! :D **

**As you (hopefully) can tell, I totally screwed up Sebastian in the beginning but just bear with me and all shall be explained! :)**

**I tend to do this a lot with certain characters in my fan fiction- completely screw up their personality XD **

**I did the same thing with Naraku in my InuYasha fan-fic: Legend of the DemonKiller. If you like InuYasha you should go have a look :P **

**Anyway, reviews please! Tell me how I did! Can I improve? Tell me! Am I doing great? Tell me! **

**Oh yeah one more thing: I write A/Ns in almost all my chaps for clarification so please read through them all :] **


	2. Chapter 1: His Butler, The Norm

**A/N****: Hi everybody! Sorry it's been a while since I updated but I just got swamped with shit to do and I have been having terrible writers block and almost NO inspiration. It all got drained in the last chapter X_X**

**I actually briefly thought about altering the prologue and turning it into a one shot but I thought, nahhh- I can do this! (Not really) **

**Anyway, a few notes: Ciel starts out 13 in this chapter and Ash is still alive, in fact, they have never come across one another so Ciel is still looking for vegence. **

**I realized that I made a mistake in the description of Sebastian in the prologue: Sebastian's demon wings are supposed to be 15 feet NOT 5 feet. 5 feet wings are not big enough to carry people, and yes I know he's a demon but he would still be just as heavy, if not heavier, than a regular human. (No, I'm not saying he's fat- It's science XD) **

**Also one last note: I forgot to warn about OOCness- there's definitely plenty of THAT in this story. I will try to keep IC when I'm supposed to but there will be big parts in this story where they will all be OOC everytime you turn around. And for a couple of characters, I changed their personalities a bit and altered them the way I wish they had been in the anime/manga. **

**Well, that's all for now, so enjoy this chapter! :D**

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><p><span>Chapter 1: His Butler, The Norm<span>

"Good morning, master." Sebastian prompted his young master to wake up as he pulled apart the tan colored curtains in his large, spacious bedroom.

"Hnn," Ciel responded as he just simply rolled over. Sebastian stared at him with a blank expression. Then he walked over to him and yanked off the bed spread.

"Master, it is time to get up," he told him. Finally, Ciel groaned and sat up with a very annoyed look. "Today's breakfast is poached salmon and tea is Darjeeling. Would you like scones or toast to accompany your breakfast?"

"Toast," Ciel answered. "With butter and raspberry jam."

"Certainly, my lord." Sebastian walked out of his lord's bedroom and down to the kitchen. On his way, he passed by Mey Rin who was walking with dirty linens to the laundry room.

"Good morning, Mr. Sebastian!" She called to him.

He smiled at her. "Good morning, Mey Rin."

Sebastian reached the kitchen and saw Baldroy attempting to cook the salmon with a blowtorch. Sebastian immediately snatched the instrument out of the chef's hands.

"Blowtorches are NOT for cooking food, Bard," he explained to him, glaring slightly.

Baldroy made a very derisive noise at the butler.

Sebastian spent the next half hour cooking everything to absolute perfection and setting to table with extraordinary care because after all, if he couldn't do that much, then what kind of butler would he be? The thought is simply unthinkable.

When breakfast time approached, Ciel came into the vast dining hall and Sebastian pulled out his chair for him; a smile playing at his thin lips. Ciel ignored him and sat down; Sebastian pushed his chair in.

As Ciel was eating, his observant butler would refill his glass whenever it needed to be, removed plates when they were no longer host to his glorious food, and pointing out to his little master when he had any kind of smear that he didn't seem to notice.

After Ciel was done, as Sebastian cleaned away the mess, Ciel told him to meet him in his study when he was done.

"Yes, my young lord." Sebastian obliged.

About an hour later, Sebastian gracefully ascended the stairs, took a left, and found himself in front of his master's study. He opened the door and stepped in, bowing as soon as he was in his lord's line of sight.

"You wished to have a word with me, young master?" He recalled.

"Yes, as a matter of fact," the rather bored Ciel replied. "I just wanted to inform you that we will be hosting a ball to celebrate the beginning of spring."

"Oh?" Sebastian didn't bother hiding a playful grin. "I was not aware that you cared much at all about the seasons, my lord, much less about holding a ball in its honor."

"Oh, please," Ciel retorted with a glare. "It was Lizzie's idea. That was the reason she came over yesterday, and for all that high pitched squealing." Ciel massaged both sides of his head with his fingers. "Honestly, that girl is going to make me deaf one of these days."

Sebastian chuckled.

"I want you to begin preparations for the ball," the little lord ordered his butler. "I doubt I need to explain any further details to you, as you have more than once proven yourself capable of handling this sort of thing." Ciel rotated his chair so that he was facing the window overlooking the gardens.

"Master, you wish naught to give me at least some idea of how the manor should be decorated, is that because you have the creative abilities of a walnut?"

Ciel gave him a monster glare before shooing him out of the room.

As Sebastian was leaving, Ciel recalled something important. "Oh and, Sebastian?"

Sebastian turned around and looked questioningly at Ciel. "Yes, my lord?"

Ciel's face broke out into a nasty grin. "The ball is scheduled for _tonight_."

Sebastian's eyes shot open in surprise for about half a second before narrowing dangerously into slits. _THIS BRAT…_ He thought venomously. _…always pulling something like this. Does he truly believe that he needn't worry about anything as long as I am here to take care of it all? Well, I suppose that is what I am here for, but honestly, he really should learn how to have his laughs without them being at the expense of someone else's pain and suffering. Hmm… on second thought, I suppose it wouldn't be right to criticize- after all, that is something that we demons do on a regular basis… _

Sebastian forced a compliant smile and bowed obediently to his master. "Yes, my lord."

"I'm sure it won't be too difficult for you to manage," Ciel encouraged his obviously disgruntled servant. "You've handled worse situations, after all." He smirked.

Sebastian continued playing his smile. "I suppose I have, my lord. I shall begin preparations immediately."

"Good, do that." Ciel swiveled his chair back around to face his demon butler. The child's face had lost the glow of amusement it had played host to just a few seconds before. "Lizzie told me that she had sent out invitations to every person of high standing. That also includes an earl by the name of Trancy. She said that she had met him at the last ball she attended at Earl Baron's estate."

Sebastian's left eyebrow rose up a couple inches. "An Earl Trancy?"

"Yes. That was the first I had heard mention of him. Apparently he had been appointed as earl of his household about a year ago, but I wonder why I have never heard of him until now?"

"I wouldn't know, my lord."

"It was a rhetorical question, but I don't suppose you could enlighten me as to how this escaped _your_ knowledge as well?"

"I am sorry, sir, but I have never heard of a Trancy family during my years of service. Perhaps they laid low for whatever reason."

"Perhaps, and I suppose it really isn't any of my business. Besides, no doubt I will get to know him well at the ball."

"Of course, my lord."

"You may go now, Sebastian."

"Yes, young master."

Sebastian turned swiftly and exited the study. Ciel went back to looking over documents while his still slightly annoyed butler tended to the matter of readying the ball.

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><p><strong>AN****: Just a drabble chap, as you have noticed. I just took what I have read/watched and tried to picture a typical conversation those two would have, and I think it turned out rather well :)**

**This chapter is just laying foundation. You'll see what I mean later :P **

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and:**

**Reviews please! :D **


	3. Chapter 2: His Butler, At The Ball

**A/N: Hello everyone! I'm back! **

**First of all, let me take a moment to apologize to you all for being so late on this chapter- over a month! I am usually never that tardy on updating but lately my life has taken a turn for the busiest. If that makes sense. But anyway, after I posted the last chapter, I had to study for finals and I had obligations to fulfill for my volunteer organization. Then finals actually came and I wasn't using the computer for anything other than homework or studying.**

**Then after that, I had winter break which was suprisingly busy. To make matters worse, (or better depending) for Christmas, I got a brand new XBox 360 with 250G! So I've been breaking that in along with a really awesome PC game that has taken me over 24 hours to complete 70% of. (I'm still not done, but then I've taken a break from it XD)**

**And now school's back in session so I had to get back into my study routine and all that. **

**ANYWAY, I'm back and let me assure you, I have no intention of giving up this story- NOT ONE BIT. It's just taken me forever to update, but I really hope it won't stay that way. I can already say that my life will only get busier :/**

**So almost like for compensation, I have written an extra long (sorta?) chapter, which is longer than most of the chapters I've written in any of my stories. **

**For further information about updates, check out my profile. I will have announcements at the very top in bold.**

**I think I've kept you all waiting long enough, so without further ado, here's the next chapter! :D**

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><p><span>Chapter 2: His Butler, At The Ball<span>

The night was ablaze with those beautiful burning balls of gas we call stars, lighting up the night alongside its eternal friend- the moon. As the stars blanket the sky and the moon dances through it, the casted light seems to illuminate the current hot spot in England- the Phantomhive Manor.

It seemed to come alive as waves of violin and cello fortes streamed out of the brightened windows. It seemed to throb with hordes of lovely dancing nobles, young and old.

The manor was decorated inside and out with bright green wreaths made up of the prettiest and sturdiest leaves. Vines entwined their way and weaved around the whole of the building in its own gracious dance and the entire scene seemed to plunge the Phantomhive Mansion in midst a luscious green forest.

Bouquets of the finest flowers littered every nook and cranny and dotted the vines, making it look as though they had rained down from the sky and took root.

The enormous garden surrounding the manor was full of exotic plants and gorgeous flowers and was riddled with small, shallow creeks. The creeks could be traced to eight statues of Jesus, two on each side of the entire vicinity. Small trails of water quickly trickled from their cold, silver stoned mouths.

Inside the mansion, green leaf and twig patterned carpets covered the floor, chandeliers ensnared in vines hung from sky blue painted ceilings, thin, leafy branches snaked halfway up the walls and wound the staircase banisters, and even more flowers adorned the branches and ceiling vines.

In the main ballroom, men and women danced through the room, adorned in dresses and tuxedoes in various shades of green, blue, red, orange, and yellow. Everyone dressed in perfect evening ball-spring attire.

Food tables were laid under ever window and provided light meals of bread and jam and cheese, fruit and vegetable plates, bigger dishes with salmon, potatoes, soups, and curries, and premium red wines.

In two far corners of the room diagonally facing each other were two enormous chocolate cakes in the shape of trees. These breath taking pastries were the stars of the party. Oglers gawked at their marvelous shape and tedious design. They were fascinated with their intricate style and how they couldn't have fit in any better with the spring theme. Nobody could wait to eat them.

In the back of the ballroom, a large orchestra of sixty men and women played wondrous tunes on their violins, violas, and cellos. Everyone danced in tune to the music and every half hour, they would play music that signaled the party-goers that a waltz was starting. At which point, nearly every man present would take a lady to dance.

Nearly. Only one man in the room did not dance, the magnificent host of this magnificent ball himself- Ciel Phantomhive. Instead, he chose to stroll around in and out of the party hall in a cute green tuxedo. He welcomed every guest and occasionally allowed one or two at a time to chat him up.

Meanwhile, Finnie, Baldroy, Mey-Rin, and Tanaka were locked in a supply closet so they couldn't cause any trouble.

On the other hand, the famous Phantomhive Butler, Sebastian Michaelis was busying himself in the kitchen, working on the rest of the food that would be wheeled out continuously on various intervals throughout the party to be consumed. He was dressed in his normal butler's garb but was also adorning a dark green carnation on the left side of his chest.

Humming softly to himself, he slides some bread into the oven and stirs the soup. The intoxicating aromas of the different dishes filled the room and could have been very appealing to the butler- if he was only able to distinguish pleasure from the smells, anyway. Being a demon, he wasn't able to discern or derive any pleasure out of most smells. That was the reason he couldn't understand why humans paid so much attention to the scents of various things such as food. He supposed that was one of the infinite reasons why he thought humans were so intriguing and amusing.

Once some more simple dishes were completed, he placed them on his cart and wheeled them out of the kitchen.

Walking down along the hallway to the stairs that would lead up into the ballroom, he paused momentarily to listen to the string music that flitted gaily down the stairs and across the corridor. He wondered if his young master was having a pleasant time.

And with that thought came a sly grin before he proceeded to make his way to the party.

_Meanwhile, at the ball…_

"This ball is simply wonderful, Lord Phantomhive," gushed a woman whose husband owned a vast corporation of food and confections. "This is the greatest party I have had the honor of attending all year!"

"I am glad that you are enjoying yourself immensely, my lady," Ciel returned the formality and graciously took her hand to give it a small peck before smiling his trademark mischievous grin. "Do enjoy the food at your leisure as well."

"Oh that reminds me," a baroness that was standing next to the lady whose hand Ciel had kissed had piped up. "Where did you get those grand cakes?" She pointed to the tree shaped cakes. "Those look absolutely divine! I simply must know from where they were purchased!"

"Me too!" About a dozen other nobles agreed as they gathered around the little Phantomhive, who smiled mischievously again.

"I did not purchase them. They were handmade by my butler."

The nobles oh-ed and aw-ed at the discovery and then began to question him rather loudly about when they could be consumed.

"About now, I believe would be the perfect opportunity," a voice from across the room spoke up.

Ciel looked up and was met with the devilishly handsome form of his butler, Sebastian.

Sebastian pushed the food cart over to the food tables and began replacing the contents. He then walked over to his master and straightened his dark green hat with a white carnation sitting upon its brim before addressing the entire dance room.

"I would like to announce that the cake is served." His loud, authoritive voice boomed across the ballroom. His silky smooth voice easily passed through everyone's ears like velvet through fingers. This was followed by happy chatter as many an expectant noble scurried off to the two tables that were host to those magnificent creations.

Ciel turned to his butler. "Sebastian, it seems as though your cakes have caused quite a stir. Almost everyone I talked to wanted to know about them. And I must say myself that they are quite remarkable."

Sebastian bowed to Ciel. "Thank you, my Lord. After all, I'm one hell of a butler." Sebastian's famous cat-like smile stretched over his angelic features. Ciel walked away from him to get some cake himself. To be honest, Ciel was probably the one most looking forward to it, being especially fond of sweets.

Sebastian was about to head back down into the kitchen and then maybe into his own room for some quiet alone time when someone was knocking at the manor doors.

_That's strange,_ Sebastian thought, looking at the list of attendees. _Everyone who was invited seems to be here…_

While on his way to the door, still scanning the list, his ruby eyes fell upon a certain name that had not yet been checked off: _Earl Alois Trancy_.

_Oh, that must be the Earl Trancy that my master was speaking of this morning. _

Sebastian reached the large, elegant wooden doors. When he pulled them open, he was greeted by a man and a young boy.

The boy was dressed in a dark green suit over a white undershirt, a thick black bowtie, black boots tied with dark violet ribbon, and a purple waist coat. He had stunning sapphire eyes and hair so blonde and thin, it appeared to be spun of gold. His eyes seemed to vibrate with life but Sebastian could tell that something darker lay just below this mask.

The man behind the boy looked to be his butler. He wore attire similar to Sebastian, however, his white undershirt was a button down shirt and he adorned a very thin and black bowtie. He also wore thin, grey spectacles which seemed to illuminate his bright amber eyes. His hair was more parted in mix-matched ways than Sebastian's and he didn't support any long or thick bangs, but just like Sebastian's, it was jet black. Sebastian could also see something dark hidden beneath those gorgeous golden orbs as well.

The Phantomhive butler put on his cat smile and graciously allowed them into the manor.

"Good evening, Earl Trancy."

"Hm? Oh, yeah, good evening," the Earl Trancy didn't really pay Sebastian any attention other than mumbling his greeting. He immediately went off in the direction of the party with his butler following shortly after, and with _no_ greeting from him.

Sebastian stared after the two.

"Oh dear," he mumbled. "His master does not seem to be the politest of people. What a sickening job that man is doing. How can he even call himself a butler whilst letting his lord grow to be so impolite?"

Sebastian supposed that his own lord wasn't the politest of people either, but at least he feigned maturity in public.

Sebastian followed them to the ballroom and managed to pass the Earl Trancy, who was practically running to the engagement. He stopped at the open doors to the ball and asked the Earl if he could take his coat.

"No thank you," was his only response before quickly entering the room. His butler followed him in and still gave no acknowledgement to Sebastian. He sighed lightly before returning his attention to his master half way across the room, eating the chocolate tree cake while seeming to be lost in his thoughts.

He started forward to his young lord but someone had already attracted his attention. Sebastian watched the Earl Trancy run up to Ciel excitedly and babbling incoherent sentences, all of which ended with: OMG!

"OMG! YOU ARE _THE_ CIEL PHANTOMHIVE!" The Earl Trancy raved. "OMG! I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD GET TO MEET YOU IN PERSON, BUT HERE YOU ARE! OMG!"

Ciel, looking a tad bit more than disgusted and infuriated, asked the boy: "And who would you be?"

"MY NAME IS ALOIS! ALOIS TRANCY!" He replied, his eyes shining with admiration.

Ciel merely raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. "You mean _you're_ the Earl of the Trancy Estate?" The little Phantomhive could scarcely believe that this incredibly immature child was the head of the Trancy Manor.

"YUP!" His entire face was positively beaming with joy.

Ciel took a moment to observe him before closing his eyes, sighing, and rubbing the center of his forehead. "Well then, _Earl_ Trancy, please enjoy your time at the ball." He turned to gesture to the food. "And don't forget that we have food, so please help yourself to anything you like—"

Alois threw his arm around Ciel's neck and proceeded to give him a hard noogie. "AWW, C'MON! DON'T BE SO FORMAL! JUST CALL ME ALOIS, CIEL!"

"Augh! Let go of me, this instant!" Ciel yelled at Alois, who immediately shut up and released his hold. His eyes suddenly took the form of sad puppy eyes and his lower lip began to tremble.

"I'm sorry, Ciel. I just thought that… you know… we could be… friends?" His lips turned back upwards into a small smile. His eyes were begging with apology.

Ciel stared at him again, bright blue eye aflame with annoyance. After a few seconds of hard breathing, he managed to calm down enough to see straight. "I have no interest at all, whatsoever, to be friends, Earl Trancy." He swiftly turned and began walking away from the rejected nuisance. When he spotted his butler, he quickly made his way over to him.

"Can you believe him, Sebastian?"

"And who would you be complaining about this time, my young master?" Sebastian smirked at his peeved little lord.

"Oh, be quiet!" He retorted. "I'm talking about Earl Trancy. Did you see the way he was treating me? The way he was speaking to me? How dare he approach me like that, act the way he does, and then expect me to accept his apology and become friends?"

"Apparently so, my young Lord," Sebastian replied. "I must admit, he's quite intolerable. His butler isn't even doing a thing to influence or change that completely unacceptable behavior of his."

Ciel stared up questioningly at his gorgeous demon butler. "Butler?"

"Yes. He walked in with the Earl just moments ago." Taking a quick survey of the room, he continued. "Strange though, I don't see him here now."

"Well, whatever," Ciel waved the statement away with his hand. "The party will be over soon, right?"

Sebastian, pulling out his pocket watch, replied: "Yes, my Lord- in just over an hour."

"Good. Once we put this silly ball to an end, I would like some tea before I go to bed."

"Yes, my Lord."

Sebastian made his way back downstairs to the kitchen while Ciel planned to escape the rest of the ball in his study.

As he ascended the stairwell, he heard hushed chattering just above him. When he glanced up, he observed that horrid Earl conversing with another, much taller man in a black suit.

_He must be the butler Sebastian was talking about,_ Ciel realized.

He quickly made himself as inconspicuous as possible. Even though he had been taught at an early age that eavesdropping was not something that should be done, he could hardly care less right now.

"_But I don't _want_ to leave, Claude!" _Complained the Earl Trancy.

"_There is nothing for us here, your Highness,"_ The butler countered.

_So Claude must be the name of the butler… huh._ Ciel realized. _…Why is he referring to that brat as his highness? No wonder that child thinks so highly of himself- his butler certainly seems treats him like he's king of the whole god damn world or something. _

"_Besides, that Earl Phantomhive doesn't seem to want you here,"_ Claude continued.

"_That's not true!"_ The Earl Trancy argued. _"I admit I was a bit unruly at first… perhaps I came on too strong."_

_Oh you came on too strong all right…_ Ciel thought, his anger hurtling back at him full force.

"_Your Highness, I highly advise that we leave right now."_

"_What's with the urgency, Claude?"_

Ciel could hear the smirk in Alois's voice.

"_Besides, maybe _I_ want to hang around a little longer… maybe I can get Ciel to warm up to me. You know just how persuasive I can be, Claude."_

Ciel snarled under his breath. There was no way in Hell he was going to be used for whatever scheme he was undoubtedly sure they were planning.

"_Your Highness, there is something evil being harbored in this mansion. I think it would be wise if you left this up to me."_

"_I know how capable you are, Claude- I trust you. But I want to stay, and I really do want to be friends with Ciel. I am going back into the ballroom to find him. If you are so certain about this 'evil' then you can just go and investigate this place on your own. I, on the other hand, want to have fun, so just leave me be until I call upon you. Is that understood?"_

"_Yes, your Highness."_

As soon as he heard Alois's footsteps beginning to descend down the staircase, Ciel ran hurriedly back to the ballroom. On his way, he called for Sebastian.

When he reached the party, Sebastian stepped out of the shadows and bowed to him.

"You called, my lord?"

"Go follow Alois's butler," Ciel ordered him, with a slight glare on his face. "Those two are up to something and Claude is talking about some kind of evil hidden in this manor. I want you to find out what they're planning."

"Yes, my young master."

When Sebastian stood up, his eyes were glowing pink with ruby tinges. Without another word, Ciel went up an alternative stairwell to his study in order to avoid having that blonde headed creature find him, and Sebastian disappeared like smoke to wherever Claude was hiding.

As Ciel climbed his way up the stairwell, he found himself staring out a large window. He hardly ever uses this stairwell because he had always found the main one to be much more appropriate. Unlike the main stairwell, the stairs on this one were not carpeted and not very well kept. However, one would have to do what one believes is necessary. He would rather deal with the piece of crud made out of stone rather than the piece of crud made out of flesh. At least the stairs can't treat him with absolute disrespect.

_I don't recall this view at all…_ What Ciel was looking at was a lower perspective of the very back of his property. It was just overlooking the back end of his garden and its two respective Jesus statues but also included a view of the forest that shrouded the rest of the land even further out.

The trees were a very healthy green but there was one tree that stood out to the little Phantomhive. It was the tallest one as far as his human eye could see. It was at least twice as tall as all those around it and by far the greenest, yet Ciel was not faced with the usual feelings one would associate with while observing simple life at its finest. Rather, he felt an increasingly foreboding sensation chipping away at his nerves.

Brushing it off as anxiety caused by a certain blonde headed demon and the wanting to get as far away from him as possible, he shook his head and continued up the flight of worn out steps.

_Meanwhile…_

Claude was up on the third floor and entering the drawing room. He examined it quickly but thoroughly before returning to the hallway.

A shadow was drifting along the corridor behind the golden eyed demon. It slithered up the walls, snaked across the ceiling, and grazed along the floor. Every time Claude turned around or rolled his eyes to the back of his head to see behind him, the shadow would dissipate into nothing; never actually meeting his stare.

Claude had gone up another flight and was venturing closer to Ciel's bedroom. Sebastian figured the master would not want his bedroom invaded so he allowed his presence to be realized and turned to head back downstairs.

As expected, as soon as Sebastian revealed his essence, Claude turned sharply around and began to follow its scent.

He was led down the stairs and in and out of different rooms before finally, its path of movement ended in front of the servants' chambers.

Cautiously, Claude entered the corridor and began searching each of the servants' rooms. When he reached the end of the hallway, he found one last door; one last room. He slowly turned the knob, sensing the "evil" behind it, and made his way inside.

The room had plain white washed walls and simple tan carpeting. There was one large bed pushed up against the far wall near the closet. It held a white mattress with white sheets, white pillows, and white blankets. A bedside table with an unlit candelabra stood on the right side of the bed.

Claude took in the entire area with one sweep of his amber eyes, and upon finding nothing out of the ordinary, turned to leave. All essence of evil seemed to have vanished completely. Still unsure, he continued to roam around the mansion, especially since he recalled his master's order of not to return to him until he was called.

Walking toward the front entrance of the manor, intending to have a look around the garden, he suddenly felt its pull again- the evil.

He sprinted toward its location at the back of the mansion. He burst through the doors and looked everywhere. Tearing through the bushes, shrubs, and flowerbeds, he came face to face with the source- a large tree.

Claude took a long look up and down the tree, confusion clearly evident in his golden orbs. He could feel a pulsating aura vibrating and throbbing about the tree. It carried very strong feelings of wrongness and uncertainty.

Reluctantly, Claude returned to the manor and decided to wait in the front parlor for his master. He sat down on the plush, ruby cushions of the couch and pulled out _Hamlet_ by William Shakespeare. As he read, there was no realization on his part that Sebastian was quietly stalking him from the rafters just above him.

_Meanwhile…_

Ciel managed to make it up to his study without interruption. He sat down in his chair and rested his head on his arms, sighing deeply.

Moments later, he heard knocking and assumed it was Sebastian. "Come in," he said.

Still refraining from looking up, he heard the door open and then close again. He heard the soft noise of boots on the carpet growing louder as they got closer. They stopped right in front of Ciel but the owner made no attempt at speaking.

Finally Ciel looked up- and stared right into the pools of bright blue belonging to Alois Trancy.

He made a started noise while simultaneously jumping up out of his chair. Alois grinned at Ciel, his eyes full of mischief.

"Well hello, Ciel," he greeted. Ciel glared at him.

"What are you doing in here?" He inquired.

"You let me in," Alois answered.

"I didn't know it was you- get out."

"What do you mean you didn't know it was me?"

"I thought you were my butler. Now get out."

"Oh Ciel, why are you being so cruel?" Alois's eyes held a deep sadness and tears threatened to fall.

"Just shut up and get out! I don't want you here."

"But I don't want to leave, Ciel. I want to be your friend."

"Unfortunately, the feeling isn't mutual. I suggest you do as I say and leave before you have to suffer the consequences."

"Oooh, I'm SO scared. And I would suggest that you don't talk to me in such a manner or threaten me or YOU will have to suffer the consequences."

Ciel scoffed. "You think you can scare me? I am the head of the Phantomhives. It just so happens that your death can be assured in an instant if I see necessary. And it might come very quick for you if you keep harassing me."

Alois looked up to the ceiling, pondering that statement. Then, grinning widely, he said: "You don't think I can do the exact same thing, Ciel? In case you haven't noticed, I possess the exact same…_ weapon_… as you do."

Ciel raised an eyebrow. "Whatever are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb, Ciel. You know what I'm talking about. I know that you employ a servant who is likely too good to be human, correct? I know that he and you share a special relationship: he serves you in exchange for his help in exacting your revenge. You see, Ciel, I know everything about you. And I am much the same. We are in the same boat, Ciel. For you see, my butler is not human either- but a demon, and yours is too."

Ciel stared at Alois, contemplating his answer. "Hm, is that so? Then perhaps you could enlighten me as to why you are _really_ here? I overheard you and your butler talking about some kind of evil in this manor. Could you mean my demon?"

Alois shook his head. "No, we already knew you had a demon butler by your side. Claude was sensing a whole 'nother evil besides him. But that isn't why I chose to come, Ciel. I assumed that because you and I could relate to one another, employing demons to get revenge and all that, you might be a bit more open to me."

Ciel smirked at him. "I'm afraid you assumed wrong." Then without warning, Ciel called for his demon. "Sebastian!"

Almost immediately, as if he was expecting this to happen, Alois called out for his demon as well. "Claude!"

Less than a second later, two shadows appeared behind the boys and materialized into men- Sebastian and Claude.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Yes, your Highness?"

Simultaneously, both masters exposed their brand mark, Ciel- a purple devil insignia on his right eye, and Alois- a brown insignia on his tongue, and ordered their butlers: "Kill him!"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Yes, your Highness."

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><p><strong>AN****: Cliff hanger! :D**

**I will try to update the next chapter as soon as I can but I may not have it up until next week. Weekends are still busy for me and I have volunteering coming up next week as well, and I'm going to school Thursday morning almost two hours earlier than usual in order to fulfill a certain school commitment...**

**Ewugh... **

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**Reviews please! :D**


	4. Chapter 3: HB, Horrors of the Past

**A/N: Hey, all! **

**So I'm a little late on the updating again, but here I am! (With another long-ish chap! XD)**

**Just as a reminder: Check my profile for future updates- I will try to anticipate when I will be updating and to post it a couple of days in advance :D**

**Warning: Alois, Claude, and Sebastian are a bit OOC in this chapter but please try not to let that ruin the entire focus of the chapter D: Also implied ClaudeXSebastian.**

**Enjoy! **

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><p><span>Chapter 3: His Butler, Horrors of the Past<span>

Glass shattered.

Plummeting down four stories, Claude and Sebastian claw at each other and attempt to use the other as a landing cushion.

When they were ten feet from the ground, the butlers pushed off of each other and went the rest of the way alone before landing gracefully on their feet.

Two faces appeared through the broken window, staring down at the demons.

"What a mess," Ciel Phantomhive observed averting his gaze down to his study floor, which was littered with glass shards.

"You will have to make him clean it up," Alois Trancy pointed out.

"Indeed," Ciel agreed. "At least he had the decency to take the fight outside so he wouldn't cause any damage… save for the shattered window—"

"If he lives anyway," Alois continued, grinning mischievously.

Ciel shifted his eyes up to the blonde boy. "Excuse me?"

"I ordered Claude to kill Sebastian, so kill him he shall," Alois chuckled.

"And I ordered Sebastian to kill Claude, so _he_ will kill _him_," Ciel countered.

"Oh Ciel, you naïve little boy," Alois pinched his cheeks. Ciel slapped his hands away. "Claude will be the one who emerges as victor. Since he does everything I say."

"_Sebastian_ will win. He does what I say and he has never failed me. Just watch, your butler will soon be dirt on the bottom of his boot."

"You have a lot of confidence in him."

"Of course I do."

"Hmm."

_Meanwhile…_

Sebastian and Claude stared each other down before lunging like cats at one another.

They dodged each other in mid air and gracefully came back down. Then they both pulled off their gloves, exposing their claws, and took off once more. A look of determination was reflected in their equally entrancing pair of orbs.

Their claws parried multiple times. Claude expressed nothing but Sebastian had a smirk plastered to his face. His beautiful raven locks shone like dark crystals in the moonlight, his bangs intermittingly swung in his face.

When the clashing had stopped and their feet had met with the ground, Claude let a look of disdain pass through his eyes before finally speaking to Sebastian for the first time.

"You really don't remember me, do you?" He inquired.

Sebastian seemed slightly confused before smiling apologetically. "I am afraid I have no idea what you are talking about." He then quickly approached the other demon in the blink of an eye and attempted to behead him. Claude leapt away and out of reach. "I do not believe I know a 'Claude'." His eyes stared questioningly at the other man.

"No, you don't know me as 'Claude'," He explained. "My original name was 'Faustus'." Claude watched the red eyed man demon, waiting for a sign of recognition or understanding. When none came, when only a more confused stare was offered, Claude sighed with annoyance and slight disappointment. "I am the leader of my spider clan in the North. I have succeeded my father, the previous leader, Carlisle."

At this new bit of information, something clicked in Sebastian's brain. He stared hard at Claude, as if trying to discern if he was telling the truth. "Faustus?" He finally asked.

Claude glared back at Sebastian. "Of course, I shouldn't be surprised you couldn't remember. You never really gave a damn. If you had, you never would have done what you did."

"Clau— Faustus, I—" Sebastian began.

"Don't start," Claude interrupted. "I don't care to hear any filthy lies. I guess I should take this time to get revenge." Despite the harsh words, his voice never faltered nor expressed anything short of disinterest. Had it not been for Sebastian's understanding of Claude's personality from once knowing him as Faustus, he wouldn't have taken him seriously.

Claude's eyes flashed and anger began seeping into his words like a corrosive acid. Bitterness laced his voice. "You goddamn selfish sonofabitch. Despite everything, you still chose to commit such a vile act. Why? Why did you do it?"

Sebastian was taken aback at the sudden hostility. He glared slightly before scolding him: "Spouting such language… what kind of butler are you?"

"Shut up! Don't act like _you're_ such a saint, because you're not! I knew something was wrong with you. The moment I laid eyes on you, I knew something inside your head was unscrewed. It finally snapped, didn't it? And even then, it wasn't enough. You craved even more bloodshed. I might have forgiven you for that day, but the carnage never stopped! You kept killing- mercilessly slaughtering, and for what? To assure your 'Get Out of Death Free' card? Yes, that's right, I know your mantra. There wasn't a single being still _alive_ that hadn't. You're sick, Michaelis, _very_ sick. And you know what happens to sick animals- they get put down." He brandished his claws for emphasis.

Sebastian just stared at Claude, unconcerned. He understood why he's so upset. The day he spoke of was of the day Michaelis had supposedly murdered over half of Faustus's clan.

_Flashback- Over 800 years ago…_

_Faustus, a young man, was taking care of some rogue demons that threatened the safety of his clan. _

_When he was finished with sending them away, the smell of blood assaulted his sensitive nose. He flicked his head in its direction and was horrified to see that it was coming from his home._

_He shot toward his colony faster than he'd ever moved before, fearing the worst. _

_When he arrived, his eyes were met with a horrible sight- the bodies of his family splayed out at odd angles on the ground, hanging from trees, and draping off of homes. Blood was pooled and splattered everywhere, and standing in the midst of it all, was Michaelis. His entire body was bathed in blood and his hands and claws were drenched in it. _

_Faustus's face was twisted in a combination of fear and confusion while his eyes were portraying horror and disgust. _

_Michaelis turned his head and spotted Faustus. He lowered his claws and turned to fully face him. He opened his mouth but his friend beat him to words. _

_Shaking from head to toe, Faustus managed to spit out: "You… you killed… my family…"_

"_Faustus, listen—" Michaelis began. _

"_You killed them…" Faustus interrupted. "You… you bastard… you killed them. You killed them!" His eyes flashed as he lunged, claws out, at his surprised friend._

_Michaelis dodged away, his wings flapped and he spread blood and soft black feathers everywhere. "Now please listen, Faustus—" _

"_No! You killed my family, you monster! How could you do this to me? To _us_?"_

"_No, please, Faustus, please listen to me—"_

"_How could you? You misbegotten murderer! How could I be so oblivious? So blind? You never cared at all, did you? Not about them, not about me. All you ever cared about was yourself!"_

"_Faustus please! Listen to me! It isn't what you think—" _

"_Shut up! I care not for anymore lies! You've betrayed us all! I'll kill you for this!"_

_Michaelis made no move as Faustus ran toward him, claws extended once more. _

_However, just before Faustus could do him any damage, two spider demons swooped down, grabbed his arms, and began to yank him away from Michaelis. _

_As the enraged kumo was being dragged away, shouting, swearing, and struggling, the kumo on the left said: "Forget about him, my Lord."_

_The one on the right said: "You must take the survivors and relocate somewhere far away from the tengu."_

_Ignoring his advisors, Faustus repeatedly attempted to break free so he could destroy the traitorous cretin in front of him. When he realized he was getting nowhere, he allowed himself to be carried off, but not before warning Michaelis: "This isn't over! Mark this, I will come for you! I will return to find you, and I will catch you… and I will _destroy_ you!" _

_Michaelis watched Faustus being pulled into the dark and out of sight. His lingering affection reflected his pain and confusion. For the blood on his hands belonged to a band of roving demons who had already decimated that vicinity of the clan. Michaelis caught them and managed to drive them out. It was unfortunate for both him and Faustus that the scent of his family's blood was overwhelming the scent of the blood of the intruders that coated Michaelis's claws. _

_End of flashback, present time…_

"You took everything from me," Claude explained. "My home, my family, my happiness... I warned you that I would come back, and now I have. Now I shall have my revenge."

"Claude, you must understand- it was not me who killed your family and destroyed your home. It was a group of demons that ambushed the village. I tried to stop them, but many of the villagers had already been killed. They fled once I attempted to destroy them. The blood on my hands was theirs, not the villagers'."

Claude seemed to be listening. The angry look in his eyes deteriorated to sadness.

"Ever since you came to live with me and my family, I came to see you as a little brother. Many say that tengus often have no true loyalty for anyone. They will easily change sides if it benefits them. You were so young back then that I had hoped, we all had hoped, that we could change that quality in you." He glared. "Obviously, we were all wrong- horribly wrong, and we paid for that with our lives."

"Claude, did you not hear what I just said?" Sebastian inquired.

"What I just heard were lies," he answered.

Claude lunged at Sebastian, who dodged out of the way and leapt into the woods for better coverage. Claude followed him.

Sebastian spotted a tree which he had deemed a perfect hiding spot and began to climb it. He scaled the entire length of it, reaching the top in less than two seconds. Meanwhile, Claude was passing under it, looking around for any sign of Sebastian.

Said demon was watching the kumo from way up on his perch.

"Come on out, Michaelis!" Claude yelled out through the trees. "Come on out, you filthy coward! Come out and face me!"

As Sebastian watched Claude search the surrounding the area, he leaned back against the trunk. He closed his eyes but kept his ears open. Eventually, he could hear Claude's voice fade away into the trees.

Sebastian sighed and stood up, facing the mansion. He could see his master and the Earl Trancy staring out at the woods through the window. He supposed he would have to either find Claude himself or wait for him to come back to the manor and then kill him, as per his master's order.

Still perched on the tree limb, he looked out over the area where Claude had disappeared. Finally deciding to wait out his return, he began to sit back down.

However, when he tried to sit back down, he found that he was no longer able to move. He was on his feet, leaning down over the edge of the branch, with not even a twitch of an eye. Then an intense feeling of anxiety and fear washed over him.

_What the… what is this? Why do I feel so… small and helpless? So frightened? I haven't felt this way since—_

He heard Claude's voice once more shouting: "Come on out, Michaelis, so I can kill you!"

Sebastian twitched violently, recalling the last person to say such a thing. Then, as if by force, a flood of unwanted memories came rushing back to him.

It was just after the incident with the Faustus family slaughter. Michaelis was running from a demon who had been after his life ever since he was a small child- the son of the Prime Minister of the Demon Realm, Daniels. Both he and his father were serpent demons.

"_Come on out, Michaelis, so I can kill you!" Daniels was tromping around under the very same tree that the tengu was hiding in. He watched the snake encircle the tree a couple of times before making his way to another part of the forest. _

_Daniels was a tall, slim demon with golden orbs and long, lime green hair. He was wearing a black suit and black boots. He was one of those few demons who never shows his true form for whatever reason._

_Michaelis was hidden among the branches and leaves, waiting for an opportunity to escape, when he heard the loud shouts of Daniels' two bear demon henchmen. When he looked back down, he saw the much larger of the two circling the base of the tree he was in, just what Daniels was doing a few seconds ago. _

_Both bear demons were large and bulky, lots of revealed muscle under their tan skin. They both had long brown hair tied back into ponytails and black eyes. They wore black suits and boots and both had one pierced ear. The larger one had a diamond stud on his right ear and the smaller one had a diamond stud on his left ear._

_He leaned back against the trunk to stay discreet as he heard Daniels calling for him again. He knew he would be killed if he was caught and after everything else he had been through his entire life, he was not ready to die yet. In truth, he was terrified of dying. He stayed with Faustus and his family for so long because they helped to keep him safe all those years but now he was on his own. He just wished they would go away soon- he was starting to cramp. _

"_We can't find him, Boss," the smallest of the two bears confessed to Daniels. _

"_Well you two _better _find him! Or I'll kill _you_ for being so useless!" Daniels threatened his men. _

"_Yes, Boss!" Both bear demons obeyed. _

_Michaelis shuddered in his fortress. He really hoped that they would move on and leave this area already. He was quite tired of this spot and his legs were beginning to numb. _

_Unfortunately, what Michaelis hadn't noticed, was that when he shuddered, his right wing had released a small black feather that slowly floated down the tree and landed on top of the largest bear's head. The bear demon felt it, reached up and grabbed it, and stared at it. He then transferred his gaze up into the tree above and let loose a wicked grin. _

"_Hey, Boss!" He called out to Daniels. _

"_What is it?" The snake demon inquired._

"_I think I saw movement over that way," he pointed to the West path that led deeper into the forest. _

"_Alright," Daniels looked to the other bear. "Come with me," he ordered him._

"_Yes, Boss."_

"_You stay here in case he comes this way," Daniels ordered the larger bear._

"_Yes, Boss."_

_Daniels and the smaller bear walked off in the direction in which the larger bear believed he saw the movement. Meanwhile, said bear demon was beginning to move out of Michaelis's sight as he rounded off a corner of the forest that led to another path in the East. _

_Michaelis risked getting caught and stuck his head out to survey the scene. When he couldn't see anybody, he decided that now would be the best time to make a run for it. However, he couldn't get out of the tree because his legs had fallen asleep on him. He lost some balance and almost fell off of the branch when he tried to stand up._

_Cursing softly to himself, he started to shake his limbs awake as quietly as he could. _

_A short time later, Michaelis heard the snap of a tree branch next to him. He froze in terror and before he could turn around, two large sets of razor sharp claws were embedded into his downy soft wings. _

_Michaelis bellowed in pain and finally managed to turn to face his attacker once the claws were viciously yanked out of his wings. _

_Feathers and a little blood fell to the ground below as the tengu was face to face with the largest of Daniels' bear demons, the one who had told his Boss and partner that he might have seen their target out farther into the woods before seeming to leave the area himself. _

_Michaelis's eyes grew larger as fear gripped his scrawny body. The bear demon's eyes bore into his prey's as a large, fang filled mouth extended upwards into a victorious grin. He reached his arms out and shoved Michaelis out of the tree. _

"_Have a safe trip, twerp," the demon chuckled while watching Michaelis rapidly plunge to the ground, his eyes still locked in that fright filled state. _

_With his wings torn and his legs still numb, all limbs useless, Michaelis could do nothing but watch the bear demon up above him laughing as he fell, awaiting the harsh impact of the ground against his body that would surely be the end of him. _

_He seemingly plummeted into nothing but a dark filled void for what seemed like hours before finally, with loud cracks of shattering bones and the splattering of blood and bowels, his descent had ended. _

_Pain was almost an afterthought as he realized that he could not see, hear, smell, or feel anything around him. He was surrounded by a thick curtain of black shadows; could not see the light of day, could not move any part of his body. Weakened, immobilized, and almost dead but not quite, for he could make out some level of a conscious mind. _

_To him, it seemed that it was the entire world that had perished instead, but it left him with nothing- no senses, no movement. Perhaps he _was_ dead? If this was what death was like, he did not care much for it at all. _

_In fact, it wasn't long before he wished to escape this void, this prison. If he could only taste the breath of life again, he would be sure to make the most of it. He would never allow himself to fall into the hands of those filthy Shinigamis. _

_Rest assured if he were to survive, the whole world must pay the price for it. Everywhere he went, he saw death. He saw death and destruction amongst even the holiest of creatures and yet they still survive. That was how most beings in this world did after all- by preying on those who didn't have what it took. _

_Michaelis realized that if he were to survive, he must be the one to take his life into his own hands, and destroy all those who had the potential to take it away from him. Never again would he return to this place, this Purgatory. He would never allow himself to perish; he will not be the one to die._

"_**I must kill everyone in order to live. In order for me to survive, everyone else must die."**_

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><p><strong>AN****: Welcome back!**

**So, looking through this, I feel as though my writing could definitely improve. I feel like I'm making a lot of grammatical errors or some parts of my writing just doesn't make any sense. If you guys notice anything or agree with me, please let me know politely in a review. **

**Constructive critism is always welcome but flames will not be appreciated. If I am making mistakes or not making sense, please let me know nicely and be specific. :D**

**Also feel free to leave compliments as well. XD**

**And I do appreciate all the favs and alerts but you guys should really drop some reviews for me as well because they raise my morale ;D**

**Thank you for sticking with me so far despite my tardiness X_X I promise that will improve! **

**So for now, until the next update:**

**Reviews please! :D**


	5. Chapter 4: HB, Horrors of the Past II

**A/N****: Hey guys, how're yall doin?**

**So I have a little bit of bad news. First off, there was actually originally a lot more to this chapter but my computer crashed while I was writing it. Usually Microsoft has an auto save program that recovers lost documents if the computer is suddenly shut off but this time when I reopened Microsoft, I couldn't find the document. So I have no idea where it went and I ended up having to rewrite this. **

**This chapter was also supposed to have been uploaded yesterday but since I had to rewrite it well, it ended up getting redone today. **

**Like I said about the length, I promised you guys an update last week and it never came so I decided to upload something today. Since this was supposed to be longer, while I was rewriting it, I found a good place to stop it for now and the rest of the original chapter will be updated along with some new content whenever it ends up getting updated. Which brings me to my next piece of bad news.**

**Second off, I have been hit with a shit load of homework this weekend and I can forsee even more studying next week so I may not be updating anything until early February. **

**Anyway, I apologize for putting up a short chapter but I hope you will still enjoy it. :)**

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><p>His Butler, Horrors of the Past II<p>

Sebastian opened his eyes.

_Wait, I was asleep? _He thought, puzzled.

He looked around him and saw that he was laying sprawled out eagle style on the grass right in front of the tree he swore he had climbed.

_Perhaps I lost consciousness?_ He wondered, observing the tree with tired eyes that didn't seem to focus correctly. _I must have fallen out of the tree, but why? _

Sebastian could hear Claude's voice shouting out his original name, Michaelis, in anger. His noise echoed throughout the woods and rebounded off the trees and into the butler's ears, which rang painfully with every beat.

It was then he remembered.

Right before he lost consciousness, he had recalled the last moment of his life in which marked the end of his 'sanity', if he had had any left at that point, anyway. It was incredibly painful to reminisce about his near-death experience because recalling it had always left him feeling hollow on the inside and overall, completely fake.

_Well, of course I'm fake,_ Sebastian smirked to himself. _I was the being created out of Michaelis's desire to be freed from his prison, and with promises of 'rebirth'. The original is locked up inside of me where he will never escape. He is the inner most part of my subconscious, a dormant part of me. Surely it wasn't possible that such a disastrous creature like him could change in such a short amount of time? _

_Well, I suppose a few centuries encased in rock deep beneath the Earth isn't exactly the prime vacation spot. And yet, it was that feeling of doubt, that small window of weakness where he would have been willing to do anything to escape. It doesn't matter how long that weakness lasted, for as soon as it had emerged, it had given birth to me. _

_As the want, _my want_, for escape grew stronger, Michaelis himself grew weaker. As he grew weaker, I was able to fully take control of his mind and body, and as a result, Michaelis was pushed to the furthest, darkest corner of my mind, never to reawaken. If he ever were to, I am sure the outcome would be disastrous. _

_I will never let that happen, though. I may have technically been created from a part of him, but I still hold all the control, I am the one who's dealing the cards. I shall be the one to decide my fate, and Michaelis's. After all, he and I… are two completely different people when it comes down to it. _

"MICHAELIS!" Faustus yelled. "COME ON OUT, YOU COWARD!"

"Oh dear, it seems I must answer his call, lest he awaken the entire countryside," Sebastian reasoned.

Sebastian stood up and quickly found that he had to lean against the tree for support. His eyes were still unfocused and he was becoming dizzy as well.

_Ugh… I haven't felt this way in centuries. The last time I was this light headed, I believe, was right after my near death experience. I had horrible vertigo for days. Once it had cleared and I could think clearly without any clouding or vomiting, I began my quest for ultimate survival… Okay, I suppose technically, I never thought straight again after that experience._

After a couple of seconds to recuperate, Sebastian sped toward the mansion. Once there, he leaned up against the side, a few floors under his master's study room window. A few seconds after that, Claude located Sebastian and confronted him.

"You're dead, Michaelis," he threatened.

"I am not Michaelis, Claude. You're deluding yourself." Sebastian retorted.

"I think I would know if I was. In any event, killing you means killing Michaelis and putting all of our minds at ease." Claude raised his claws.

When he brought them down, Sebastian easily dodged out of their path but landed rather unsteady.

_It seems that my balance is beginning to be affected…_

No sooner when that thought exited his mind, Claude came at him again. Soon it was a blurry barrage of the golden eyed butler's claws and the red eyed butler's backward rushing.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sebastian observed Ciel and Alois making their way towards the fight- in no particular rush of course, just walking as though nothing as unnerving as a massive fight between two demons was happening.

Unfortunately for Sebastian, in that moment of distraction, his blurry vision caused him to stumble. Claude bore down on him, taking advantage of this movement and stuck him full across the chest.

Blood poured out as Sebastian's body fell to the ground. He lifted his head to try to refocus what was left of his vision on his rival but soon found his cranium was pushed back against the ground, leaving his throat bare and vulnerable. In less than a second after, he felt the sharp pinch of claw tips against the pale skin, threatening to rip it open.

"Sebastian!" Ciel called out to his butler, now running to the scene with Alois close behind.

Upon hearing his name, Sebastian's eyes swiveled to the caller and narrowed.

_Typical that NOW he finds it necessary to intervene… but of course, this fight isn't over yet. I don't plan on dying anytime soon and certainly not without my master's soul. There is no chance that I will lose to him. _

"Any last words before your tragic, yet nevertheless pathetic demise?" Claude asked Sebastian.

Sebastian shifted his eyes to meet Claude's and he could see the hatred that burned deep within them. He could see that horrible incident fresh in his fury-filled orbs, replaying itself over and over and over again.

"You're the one who's pathetic, Claude," Sebastian pointed out.

"Excuse me?" Claude eyes narrowed to slits and seethed with rage.

"You can't let go of the past and it's leading you to kill an innocent."

"INNOCENT? How dare you even think of yourself like that? Don't you dare believe that even for a second that you're the victim here, because you're NOT! You're a sick murderer, Michaelis! You are sick, twisted, and royally screwed up, and now I'm the one that has to get rid of you. The whole goddamn world will be a hell of lot better off once you're gone."

He felt it again.

His mind was awash with fear, leaving his body paralyzed.

_What in the world is happening to me?_

His limbs would no longer work and it was as if someone had taken his brain and ground it to mush. His vertigo, it seemed, was only getting worse.

Sebastian groaned slightly as his view of Claude was getting foggier. His head felt like it was going to explode and his heart was pumping a mile a minute.

Then suddenly, Claude was no longer there. Sebastian was left floating in darkness.

For a moment, everything seemed right. He was left in a place where nothing could hurt him. This place was lonely and dark, but it didn't matter because it was his own little haven where nothing could touch him.

However, as soon as that moment had come, it had gone. Now Sebastian was running. He was running through the trees, his senses bombarded with the smell of smoke, the sound of laughter and the crackle of embers, the sight of ripped flesh in his mind, and the feel of heated ash against his porcelain skin. He could even taste the splattered blood that had soaked through his lips.

The blood of his kin. His parents' blood.

_An eight year old Michaelis was tearing through the forest, running as fast and as far away from the mess as he could. _

_Hearing his parents' murderers following closely behind him, he spread his wings and took to the skies. Never looking back, the mansion he and his family had once called home burned to ground while the bodies of his parents lay just under, crackling and dismembering. _

_Once realized that Michaelis's wings had flown him far away from them, the tengu's pursuers stopped their chase. _

"_At least the parents were taken care of," one of the assassins pointed out._

"_You moron," the other insulted. "Our orders were to deal with the ENTIRE family. With the brat out alive somewhere, it means we failed in our mission which could mean the loss of our jobs. Daniels will throw a hissy when he finds out we let one escape." _

"_Yeah, but he's just a runt. What harm could he do?"_

"_Enough, once he's grown up."_

"_He's only a tengu. They hardly ever grow to be powerful enough to pose a threat, at least not one to us or to the Prime Minister. Daniels can take care of the brat himself if he's that adamant about his demise. Besides, the kid's got nothing left. He'll probably die alone and hungry in a dark alley somewhere or get killed off by another demon."_

"_If we lose our jobs I will hang you by your tongue."_

"_I look forward to it."_

_Setting out in the opposite direction, the two assassins made their way past the broken manor and towards the stately mansion that the Prime Minister and his son lay claim to. Meanwhile, Michaelis was hiding in some branches nearby, having heard the entire conversation. _

"_Who is 'Daniels'? Isn't he the Prime Minister's son?" _

_Michaelis watched the retreating backs of his assailants until they had disappeared from sight._

"_They killed my family… but why…?"_

_**'The assassins were Grim Reapers. They ripped my family apart with their Death Scythes and came after me. Clearly, I will become their target as my death hadn't been carried out as planned. **_

_**I can never trust them.'**_

_Fearing for his life, Michaelis fled the area. He knew someone would be sent after him and the executor would most likely be another Grim Reaper. _

_So he ran. For days he ran, for days he feared, and for days he grieved over the loss of his parents and his home. _

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><p><strong>AN****: I hope that wasn't too confusing or rushed. :/**

**I also hope this was an okay place to end it, I just felt guilty for being tardy again DX**

**Please let me know how this chapter was, constructive critism and compliments are always welcome. **

**And yes, I know how Sebastian's family went the same way as Ciel's but I wasn't thinking about Ciel when I wrote both versions of this chapter. It just happened that way, and it made the most sense because it had to involve Grim Reapers. The reason Sebby's family was killed will be explained soon so stick around!**

**Reviews please! :D**


	6. Chapter 5: HB, Horrors of the Past III

**A/N: Hey all!**

**So I realize that the update is late again and I do apologize for that.**

**Lately though, my life has been hectic with school and studying, and then just recently, my mom had to go to the hospital. She's sick with something but the doctors don't know what it is and I'm slightly more than a little troubled by this. :(**

**This may not answer all your questions but just be patient please. All will be answered in due time. :)**

**Anyway, enjoy the chapter. :D**

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><p><span>Chapter 5: His Butler, Horrors of the Past III<span>

Enveloped in darkness...

Opening his eyes, Sebastian could see, or rather not see, the cloak that caressed his being, black as night.

His head spun, his eyes rolled, and his heart pounded. His entire life was flashing before his eyes as he heard a distant yell.

_Sebastian!_

It echoed throughout his head yet never actually made sense as to what it meant. Was his name Sebastian? He felt as though he should know the answer to that but to be honest, he had no idea. Who was he?

_Who am I? _

_Sebastian!_

_Is… is that my name? Sebastian? No… I don't think so… I thought my name was—_

_DEMON!_

_Who's that?_

_COME ON OUT, YOU SINFUL CREATURE!_

_Who is there? Who's yelling? What's happening? I can't see anything… everything is completely black. The shouts are vibrating in my ears; echoing in my head… I can't focus…_

As if to worsen his already failing vision, the background began to swim in color all around him. The black seemed to melt away and in its place, a whole myriad of colors melded into one another in a swirling dance.

_Michaelis, now only slightly older than in his previous memory, (perhaps about ten or eleven) was standing in midst a forest undergoing an annual autumn shed. _

_The trees' normally dark green leaves now painted various shades of yellow, red, and orange as they basked in the low light of the morning sun. _

_Hearing those very leaves being cracked, twigs being snapped, and the shouting being commenced, Sebastian took off at a run._

_He did not know why he was running. He only knew that if he didn't, he would never be able to again._

_The yelling closed in on him just as he passed in front of a large oak tree- the same tree in which he witnessed the Grim Reapers plotting his death. _

_A sharp panging sound was all Michaelis was able to register before he found himself immobile and in terrible pain. Looking down at his chest, he realized that he had been arrowed to this very tree. Blood seeped out of his chest and more only surfaced once the tengu yanked out the intrusion. He gasped in pain and willed the wound to close but it did not. It could not. _

_He had been shot in the chest with not just any type of arrow- this arrow was a Demon Hunter's arrow. He was being pursued by Demon Hunters who had the latest in demon hunting technology. Demon Hunter weapons and ammo had the power to immediately infect the wounds they inflict in order to keep them from closing up and healing. _

_Blood continued to pour from his chest but also began to liquidate in his eyes as they turned a burning passion red. _

_Snarling loudly, Michaelis heaved his arm back and threw the arrow straight across the area with as much strength as he could muster. _

_Two slow, silent seconds later, the tengu heard the faint sound of surprised yelping and the spurting of blood. _

_After taking a few moments to calm himself down, Michaelis slowly and stealthily made his way towards the sounds that were currently assaulting his ears- faint gurgling. _

_He pushed his way through the brush and found himself face to face with three men, three humans- the Demon Hunters. The arrow that Michaelis had thrown back at them had somehow pierced its way through their mouths and the backs of their throats. They looked like The Scream with their mouths forced open and their eyes wide in confused fear and agonizing pain. The arrow protruded from their throats and managed to lodge into the trunk behind the men, anchoring their limp bodies and leaving them to rot._

_Michaelis stared at his mess for a few seconds, seeming to analyze it for a hidden meaning- were they truly dead? He could still hear the bubbling and gurgling of blood that was oozing from their throats and dribbling out of their mouths. _

_He shifted his gaze downward and spied the crossbows used to shoot the arrow into his body. Recalling that moment had Michaelis shivering in fear and he placed a hand over the hole in his chest that still refused to close. With the physical pain returning full force like a blunt object to the head, Michaelis's eyes flashed with anger. Without fully contemplating his actions, Michaelis picked up one of the crossbows and smashed it into the head of the first man he could reach. The top of the head cracked and shattered like an egg shell under the sheer force of the object being driven through bone and brain. He then picked up the other two bows and smashed them into the last couple heads. When he finished, he took a step back to admire his work. _

_Not one emotion passed his face as he stared at his art. Three men staked to a tree, a crossbow sticking up out of each of their heads looking like a strange type of antlers, and blood pooling in their mouths and trickling down their chins. _

_The gurgling had long since ceased, their eyes dimming to a dull gray no sooner than when the weapons had been shoved through their heads. _

_**I guess they weren't dead until I bashed their heads in… well good riddance. It seems that even amongst humans I am a target that can be very easily vanquished. Never will I allow myself to fall to them.**_

_Another few moments of silence was all that accompanied Michaelis before he swiftly turned on his heel, wincing slightly at his wound, and walked away. _

He was plunged into darkness once more.

This bout however, only lasted a few seconds before he was thrust into another time. This time, Michaelis looked to be an older teenager, probably around fifteen.

_Feeling incredibly sick to his stomach, Michaelis was following a certain holy stench. He pinpointed its location about twenty feet from the very same tree he had been arrowed to half a decade previously. _

_Michaelis scaled the trunk and perched himself on a small branch that overlooked the meadow before him. Standing in midst of it, was a group of ten angels of both genders. _

_Narrowing his eyes, he began to plan an escape route should his presence be detected. However, that did not look to be the case in the very near future, as the angels seemed to be in the middle of a heated argument. _

_Michaelis knew they couldn't be here without a reason because angels rarely ever descend into Hell unless they had fallen. He had heard every now and then that God would send his angels down into the underworld for some kind of task. What the task was, he had no clue at first, but he began to figure it out when he saw a younger looking white haired male try to rip the head off of one of his fellow angels. _

_There was a lot of yelling and a large fight broke out in between the group as the holy beings ripped each other apart. Michaelis watched the occurrence in disbelief and only grew more frightened when the last standing angel was the one who had started the whole fight in the first place. _

"_Falling would not have been a just enough punishment for you lot," the angel spat to the ring of blood stained essences around him._

_One of the angels was still alive however, though badly wounded. He lifted his head up and matched gazes with the victorious murderer. "You will fall for this, God will punish you…"_

_The angel standing let out a bark of laughter. "I doubt it heavily… seeing as he had instructed this fine piece of work to be crafted in the first place."_

_The dying angel's eyes nearly burst with horror and anger. His wings began to shed black feathers as a shadow crept onto his frazzled features. His face contorted with pain and humiliation as he raised newly formed claws and prepared to strike._

_Quick as a flash, the standing angel stooped in front of the falling angel and snatched his face in his hand. "Now now, that's enough of that. As I have said previously, falling is not a befitting punishment. Mustn't let my Lord down now, can I?"_

"_Ash…"_

_One corrupt smile later and the standing angel squeezed his fingers together, successfully squashing the entire head of the falling angel into pulp. _

_Michaelis watched in horror as Ash killed the angel before vanishing in a flash of white light pure enough to make his guts bubble and corrode just by gazing into it. _

_Staring down into the mess, one would think a demon would be delighted to watch this happen to someone so pure and innocent, someone who was supposed to adamantly abhor this type of behavior and condemn others for partaking. One of the few things demons actually did dream about when given the chance, to watch a holy angel twist and fall into the depths of despair and writhe in their sins. This however, was not the case. This was, in fact, just plain wrong. _

_The fact that God himself had ordered Ash to do this, that Ash had so much fun while participating, and that the scene was just simply gruesome, was something Michaelis could hardly just bare to witness. It did not help that his life had been filled with death and violence beforehand. He did not know just how much more of this he could take._

_**I suppose there is the worst of death and violence even amongst the holiest of creatures… Is there really no place to escape from that…?**_

Reeling in confusion and fear, his world was once more engulfed by a thick black curtain that cascaded down the memory, effectively shutting him away from his broken past.

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><p><strong><span>AN: I realize that this isn't my best work but things will pick up from here I promise.**

**I hope you still enjoyed this chapter:**

**Reviews please! :D **


	7. Chapter 6: His Butler, Something Evil

**A/N****: Hey there, everyone! I'm baaaack! :D**

**So contrary to popular belief, I am not dead, as you can see XD **

**I know that I have not updated for over a month but I have been incredibly busy but now that spring break is upon us, I have more time to write! However, I will still be doing things this week, homework included X_X so I may not update more than twice. (not including this update) **

**Anyway, enough of my excuses, enjoy chapter 6! :D**

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><p><span>Chapter 6: His Butler, Something Evil<span>

_**Grim Reapers murdered my family and tried to kill me.**_

_**Humans as well have tried to end my life.**_

_**There is no sanctity of purity even amongst the holiest of beings.**_

_**Demons threaten my survival. **_

_**I am not safe anywhere… they are all trying to kill me. They all have the power to take away my life, to cut it short. **_

_**Well I shan't allow that to happen. For that:**_

_**I must kill everyone in order to live. In order for me to survive, everyone else must die.**_

His world was engulfed as strongly and quickly as though his mind were just one large black hole. The colors drained, the air evaporated, everything was pulled through a never ending tunnel and thrust down a never ending abyss.

Not a thing could be seen. Not a sound could be heard.

Nothing but vast, open plains of nothingness and silence hung in the enclosure, spreading into the deep crevices of his clouded mind.

He was alone here, perfectly, contently, alone. Nothing could hurt him. He was safe from everything here, safe from everyone. But was he safe from himself?

He began to tremble and shake uncontrollably while a rumbling sound was echoing along the walls of the dark cavern. Sebastian's eyes were forced open and he found himself retreating to the deepest, darkest recesses of his mind.

A troubled expression crossed his angelic face as another pair of red-orange eyes pierced Sebastian's.

Sebastian shuddered in fright before narrowing his eyes into slits and standing up, claws extended.

"_You."_ He accused.

The pair of eyes flashed pink just as a new voice made itself heard over the rumbling.

"_I must get out of here. I must leave this place. You are in my way. Step aside or die on the spot."_

"_I don't think so," _Sebastian retorted. _"I promised that I would never let you go. I cannot let you escape. I will never allow you to be free- you are a monster, Michaelis. You will stay here where you belong."_

Michaelis' eyes flashed again and Sebastian's mind began to cloud once more, accompanied by a rush of wind.

Unable to hear anything or see straight, Sebastian knelt down, shut his eyes, and tried to wait it out. His breathing became labored and his lungs were starting to burn with each breath.

It was when a shadow draped over his body that Sebastian decided to open his eyes. He looked up to see his demonic form standing over him. Michaelis' true form was staring down at him; glowering pink eyes bored into his own; claws extended and fangs bared. His wings encased his body, black feathers drifting about the demon.

Sebastian stood up to face Michaelis but as soon as he did, Michaelis shot forward, right through Sebastian's body.

Smoke shrouded both of them. Sebastian's eyes enlarged with surprise but then narrowed into slits as he lashed out at Michaelis.

Only to find that he was gone.

In another gut wrenching pull into the depths of darkness, smoke and black feathers continued to swirl around his body. He felt as though something was banging inside his head, threatening to break through it, while his body was undergoing its demonic transformation.

He had no power over it and he was plunged deeper into the dark.

The next thing he knew, he could hear someone shouting his name over the whistling of wind that continued to invade his ears.

_Sebastian! Stop it!_

_Stop what? _He thought, confused. _What am I doing? All I can see is black; all I can hear is the wind… save for that voice. Whose voice is that, anyway? It sounds oddly familiar…_

What Sebastian was not conscious of, while pinned down by Claude, he started changing into his true form- Michaelis.

The transformation caught Claude off guard and Sebastian managed to throw him off of his body. While he attacked Claude head on, he still continued to change and it started to frighten Ciel and Alois.

True demonic forms are so frightening to look at, it can even drive the purest of angels onto the brink of despair and insanity. For humans, just gazing upon them can utterly destroy their minds.

Michaelis, while struggling to leave Sebastian's body, had almost completely taken it over. Now he had to destroy Claude, who was threatening his life. He continued to lash at him, claws ripping into Claude's clothing and occasionally through skin.

Claude, now on the defensive, was struggling just to evade Michaelis' oncoming attacks.

Alois, who was hiding behind Ciel with his eyes shut tight, began to yell: "Claude! Stop him! He's frightening!"

Meanwhile, Ciel, who had also shut his eyes, continued to yell at Sebastian: "Sebastian! Stop this at once!"

_SEBASTIAN!_

_The shouting is getting louder… my body is heating up… my hand feels like it's on fire…_

_SEBASTIAN! THIS IS AN ORDER: STOP FIGHTING RIGHT NOW!_

Upon hearing the order, Sebastian's eyes shot open and flamed pink. He struggled to emerge from the blackness of his mind and managed to penetrate its walls.

The next thing Sebastian was conscious of, he was standing in front of Claude who had fallen onto his back. He stared into his amber eyes and registered the fear and confusion in them.

He then turned to Ciel who he saw, was still looking away from him, and Alois, who was cowering behind said earl. Confusion now evident in Sebastian's eyes, he took a step toward him.

Realizing something wasn't right, he looked down at himself.

Sheer terror was reflected in his wine colored orbs when he saw that he was no longer in his usual butler's garb. He was wearing black robes, high heel boots, and a black cloak. Looking slightly to his left and right, he saw he had a set of black feathered wings about fifteen feet long and his hands were completely exposed, showing the purple devil worship symbol and black coated nails.

He didn't bother to check, but he could feel that his horns had grown on his head as well.

_Oh Satan, what the hell just happened?_ He cursed. He turned his head around to see Claude standing up, but not proceeding forward. He just stood still, staring at him.

Turning his head back to the two earls, still not looking at him, he sighed quietly before slowly transforming back into his human form.

Ciel, as if realizing that Sebastian was changing back into his butler disguise, looked right at him. As he did, he witnessed two horns retreating into his head and wings sinking back into his shoulders just as Sebastian pulled on his white gloves.

Ciel stood to face Sebastian and when he did so, Alois opened his eyes and cautiously regarded Sebastian. When he realized all was well, he stood up and sprinted over to Claude to hide behind him.

There was a long, awkward silence between them. After what seemed like an eternity, Ciel said: "Sebastian, once you show all the rest of the guests out, prepare me for bed."

"Yes, my Lord." Sebastian obliged.

Turning to face Claude and Alois, Sebastian's catlike smile appeared. "I trust you had an entertaining evening? Shall I show you to your carriage?"

"No thank you," Claude immediately answered. Then turning to Alois, he asked: "Shall we go, your Highness?"

After a couple silent seconds with Alois watching Ciel retreat into the Phantomhive manor, he answered: "Indeed, Claude. Let's go home."

"Yes, your Highness."

Sebastian watched Claude help Alois into his carriage before climbing into the driver's seat and setting off.

Once the carriage could no longer be seen, Sebastian turned and headed inside the mansion.

After seeing the rest of the guests off, he grabbed a lit candelabra and headed upstairs to the little Phantomhive's bedroom.

An hour later, Sebastian was dressing Ciel for bed. He settled him in and got up to leave, when Ciel tugged on his suit sleeve.

"Sebastian," he started. "What happened?"

Sebastian stared into the curious but determined cerulean eyes of his young lord. Sighing, he sat down on a plush cushioned chair and stared straight back into those beautiful ocean blue orbs.

"I think…" He began.

"Yes?" Ciel pressed.

"I think I have just unleashed Hell upon us."

"What? Excuse me?" Ciel scoffed. "If this is your idea of a joke, it's not funny. Tell me what happened."

"My Lord, it's an incredibly long story."

"Then make it short." Ciel crossed his arms and stared into Sebastian's thoughtful yet reluctant ruby orbs.

Sebastian sighed once more before continuing softly, as if speaking any louder would initiate some kind of apocalypse. "It all started almost millennia ago. When I was a young demon, Grim Reapers were dispatched to murder me and my entire family. They succeeded in slaughtering my family with their death scythes and burned down my home. I managed to escape but I lived in the constant fear that I would be caught and killed.

"After a few years of running, I found that my life was once more in danger, only this time, it was at the hands of a demon. His name was Daniels and he was the son of the Prime Minister of the Demon Realm."

"I was unaware you demons had such a hierarchy," Ciel interrupted.

"Oh of course we do, but that is a whole other story in of itself," Sebastian explained, a wide grin plastered to his angelic face. The smile faded however, once he continued, and was replaced with a grim expression. "Daniels was after my life because the Grim Reapers had failed in their mission to kill me, so he set out to do it himself. Besides that, I recall him explaining to me once that it was also a means of occupying his time, as he was growing increasingly bored of his existence."

"So hunting you was a pass-time?"

"Yes, you could put it that way. Anyway, there was one day where I found myself getting chased by humans."

"Humans?"

"Yes, but they weren't ordinary humans- they were Demon Hunters."

"I see."

"Demon Hunters, as you know, are incredibly skilled and in top physical condition, and those that come from lines of generations of Demon Hunters are said to have up to three times the physical strength, endurance, and agility than that of regular mortals. These Demon Hunters were powerful ones and possessed top notch weaponry at the time, which was the crossbow. Weapons forged for demon hunting are much stronger than regular weapons and the best ones have increased strength, ten-fold.

"That is impressive, but what does this have to do with what happened two hours ago?"

"I told you it is a long story, my Lord, and I am making it as short as I can but there are many details that you must be acquainted with first."

"Alright, alright." Ciel waved his hand back and forth, dismissing the statement. "Go on, then."

"Well first I must confess that I was in the Human World to pass the time and I must have caught their attention. The next thing I knew, I had retreated back home to evade them but they kept on my tail. They fired arrow after arrow at me and eventually, one struck me full in the chest and pinned me to a tree.

"Another thing about demon hunting weapons is that they have a certain… _power_… I suppose you could put it. What makes demon hunter weapons so formidable is that they are infused with holy magic, which basically means they were blessed by a priest or an arch bishop.

"When these demon weapons are forged, depending on the weapon, either it or its ammo is then blessed by the clergy. An example would be a sword versus a gun or a bow. The sword itself would infused with holy power while the bullets and arrows would be infused instead of the gun or the bow itself. Also, the higher standing a member is that blesses it, the more powerful it is. Such as a weapon blessed by an arch bishop will be much more powerful than if it was blessed by a priest.

"What happens when they are blessed, the holy magic will basically act as a deterrent for our natural ability to regenerate or heal. It poisons our wounds much like a mosquito's saliva does to its victim. The pest's saliva keeps the wound from healing and that is basically what a demon hunter's weapon does when it inflicts wounds on a demon. When such wounds are created, it ultimately leaves us in a same position as when a human is inflicted with injury. The stronger the holy power, the longer it takes for our injuries to heal and the more likely they are to be fatal. If the magic is strong enough, if we took a blow to a vital area, we could die instantly- in the same way a mere mortal would."

"Is that right? So a magic blessed sword would be able to slice off your head and kill you whereas a regular sword would be unable to even penetrate your skin?"

Sebastian chuckled lightly. "That is correct, which of course means that the arrow that pierced me was blessed obviously, by someone much higher than a priest. But anyway, that aside, when I was shot, I was instantly reminded of what happened to my family and what almost happened to me… what could _still_ happen to me. Also the fact that mere humans had the power to harm me kind of sent me spiraling out of sanity."

"You were afraid." Ciel's eyes narrowed. "How sad for a demon like you to be frightened of mere mortals."

Sebastian sighed. "At the time, I wasn't much older than you, my Lord. I was very young, I had no one to depend on; I was alone, my family and home destroyed right before my eyes… I suppose, for a better lack of a term… traumatized. Just because I am demon, that doesn't mean I'm invincible to every mortal feeling or emotion.

"The point of this situation, when this realization hit me, I was wrought with fear and paranoia, and in a desperate attempt to save my own life, I ripped out the arrow and threw it straight back at the Demon Hunters. I cautiously approached them, probably about a minute later, only to find that I had spiked them into a tree by that same arrow. It had pierced through their throats so they were hanging by their mouths basically."

"That's a very interesting picture," Ciel thought out loud. "Yet, that's so like you to be flashy with murder."

Sebastian laughed softly and unenthusiastically. "It gets better… or worse depending on perspective. They had dropped their crossbows when they were staked to the tree and when I saw them I experienced this sudden wave of anger and fear. So I picked up the bows and smashed them through their skulls for good measure."

Ciel chuckled darkly. "Very mature of you, Sebastian."

Sebastian's eyes dimmed and he was clearly not amused. "Looking back on it now, I definitely could have been a lot more subtle about it or at the very least, more civil. I acted on instinct more or less when I threw the arrow but smashing their heads open with their own weapons wasn't necessary. The only reason that second part disturbs me is because it was an open door to the future of my sanity. It was like a window or mirror that should have been looked carefully through. If I had only done so, if only I had realized the extent of my behavior, if only I could have realized what that act meant for the future of my state of mind, I would have been much more careful at monitoring my thoughts and actions after that, or at the very least, believe it or not, I would have sought _help_."

Ciel looked a bit surprised at this. "You admit that you know you were falling into mental instability? That had you realized it at the time, you would have sought_ therapy_?"

"Yes." Sebastian looked away from his young master, as though he did not wish to see what he probably thought of him now. Would Ciel think of him pathetic for falling into such a state in the first place? Would he think him weak for considering psychological help? Perhaps foolish for _not_ realizing what his actions meant for him? What they should have revealed? In any case, Sebastian supposed it did not matter what his lord thought of him now. His opinion of him was undoubtedly low in the first place, he being a demon and all that. Besides, why should he care?

"Why didn't you? Seek help I mean?" Ciel seemed to be surprised and intrigued rather than downright disgusted.

Sebastian looked back at Ciel, startled. Finally he answered: "Because I did not realize it at the time, that my actions, my thoughts were unstable- that they weren't normal, even for a demon. I was young and naïve, my Lord. I was also scared and paranoid. I wouldn't have realized what was happening even if someone spelled it out for me. I only wish that I _had_ seen what was happening… it would have saved all that trouble for me down the road, me and not to mention everyone else that ended up dead or suffering at my hands."

"I get the sense that there's more to this."

"Oh, so much more than you realize, my Lord."

"So what happened?" Ciel's curiosity had peaked and he wondered what could have been so horrific, that Sebastian didn't want to talk about. He knew what it was like to live in fear but the kind of fear Sebastian was talking about was different- it was paranoia, irrational fear.

"I was constantly on the run from Daniels and when I was about fifteen, I was taken in by Claude's family."

"Trancy's butler?"

"Indeed, although at that time, he was referred to as Faustus. He and his family took me in and protected me against Daniels whenever he came to kill me, which was on multiple occasions.

"I lived with them for a good decade and halfway through that, Claude and I ended up getting incredibly close and we decided to go out."

Ciel's eyebrows bounced up in astonishment. "You dated him?"

"Yes," Sebastian replied as-a-matter-of-factly.

"So you were in love with him?" Ciel pressed. He found it quite hard to believe Sebastian would fall in love with a man, much less one like Claude, but he suddenly realized: how would he know? He knew almost nothing about Sebastian or his past. He never really cared about it much. What he did know was that you couldn't put anything past him so he shouldn't have been surprised, but Sebastian just didn't really _seem_ the homosexual type. Bending and toying with either gender in order to get what he wanted or to gain information- yes, definitely, but truly loving another man? No, most definitely _not_.

Could demons even truly love, anyway?

"Yes, I was, and he was in love with me. He always put my life before his whenever Daniels threatened to exterminate it and always tried to make me happy. I was a very broken child when I was taken in but Claude seemed determined to fix that. Eventually, he succeeded- I could completely trust him and I was not afraid to love him. At one point, I even believed that I would spend eternity with him." Shaking his head, Sebastian added: "A foolish notion that still haunts me, even today."

"He betrayed you?"

"Not exactly. _I _was the one who betrayed _him_, or at least that's what he seems to think. It was a horrible misunderstanding. A roving band of demons attacked his village while he was away and I tried to ward them off. They had already slaughtered half of the village and I was only able to deter them. I injured quite many of them but none had actually died. When Claude returned to his home, they had just left and I was standing in midst of the bloodshed, so he misinterpreted that I was the one who murdered his kin. He spouted out his accusations and tried to kill me, only to be dragged away by a few surviving members before he could do anything." Sebastian's tone was very nonchalant but his eyes betrayed his words- he was still saddened somewhat by what happened.

Ciel picked up on his hidden mood. Being with him for so long gradually gave them both the ability to practically read the other's thoughts. Ciel knew he was still upset and quite frankly, found it pathetic.

"That was what, centuries ago? You're still grieving?" Ciel's face fell in mock disappointment and annoyance. Surely his butler was stronger than this.

Sebastian threw a slight glare in his young master's direction. Clearly, he was not happy that Ciel basically implied that he was being weak. "Not exactly _grieving_, my Lord. When I said it haunted me, I did not mean it in _that_ way. What upsets me about it was that it was ironic and I regret that things happened the way they did. Think about it, my Lord. After you spend nearly your whole life running, someone comes along and for years, they show you unbelievable kindness and protection, only to have them practically turn their back on you later. Besides, I knew Claude only tried to hurt me because he thought that I betrayed him, so I do not blame him for acting the way he did. It was not his fault. I do not blame Claude for his actions but rather myself for not setting things right in the end. I could have, _should_ have at least done that much, but I didn't."

"Hmm, I understand what you mean. Yes, I believe I would have felt the exact same way. So that's why Claude was murderous towards you and not because of Alois' orders."

"Yes. Unfortunately, he hasn't seemed to have gotten over it…" Sebastian trailed off when he remembered what Claude said to him:

"_I might have forgiven you for that day, but the carnage never stopped! You kept killing- mercilessly slaughtering, and for what? To assure your 'Get Out of Death Free' card?"_

Ciel, unaware of Sebastian's realization, went on to ask: "Do you still love him?"

Sebastian turned, surprised, to Ciel.

Ciel seemed annoyed at his demon's silence, and frowned at him. "It's just a simple question."

Sebastian chuckled lightly before answering. "No. That ship had sailed long ago, I'm afraid. The only thing that lingers is the regret that I never at least tried to patch things up with him. Although, I think it would have been highly unlikely that we would have returned back to the happier times even if I had done so. He seemed so damaged and frail that day, I doubt things would have returned to normal."

"Well, it's too late now. There's no point in holding on to that regret."

"You're right, but unfortunately my Lord, as you should very well know, if the regret is there at all, no matter how small, it can never be erased. It will always be there to linger, no matter how much time passes or how much the wounds of the past had been healed and atoned for."

"I would have probably agreed with you some time ago on that, but not now. I never regret the moves I've made, and you shouldn't either."

"I agree, but as you've said, it's far too late. It isn't honestly that big a deal anyway. It used to be once, long ago, but not anymore. Too much has occurred in between that day and now that I don't even have room to worry about it."

"Which leads me to my still-unanswered question: What the hell happened back there?"

"If you will allow me to continue, sir, the story is far from over." Sebastian's trademark smirk graced his thin lips.

Ciel huffed and leaned back against his pillows. "Well hurry up, then. I do not appreciate haltering responses toward urgent matters."

Sebastian's eyes closed as his smirk deepened and he continued. "A few years after I abandoned what was left of Claude's village, I came upon the sickening aura of something pure, something holy. As it turns out, that stench belonged to a group of angels who had descended upon Hell in order to carry out some task that was assigned to them by their Almighty Lord."

Ciel was taken aback by this. His mix-matched eyes widened with disbelief. "Their God sent them to attend to matters in the Underworld? Why in all the worlds would he do that? Is it not their place to be? They only reason an angel should be there at all would be if they had fallen."

"You are quite right, my Lord, but from what I was able to understand, it appeared that their God did in fact send them down there for something. Or rather, He sent _someone_ down with them in order to carry out His demands."

Ciel blinked in confusion. "Elaborate."

"When I happened upon them, it seemed as though they were in midst of a heated argument. It turns out, the other angels suspected why they had been brought down there in the first place. Soon after, one of the angels began a brutal attack on the others. The fight only lasted for several minutes before the same angel who started the clash was the last one standing. One of the angels he struck down however had not yet died and was beginning to fall. It was then revealed to the falling angel and to me, that the reason they were sent there was for that angel himself to destroy his brethren, and that according to him, falling was hardly a suitable punishment for their supposed betrayal."

"So the angel killed them for betraying their Lord?"

"Supposedly, at least that was what he said."

"What does that have to do with what happened?"

"Because it proved to me that hatred and corruption can occur even amidst the divine. It proved to me that I was not safe anywhere and that any and all life was a threat to me and my existence."

Ciel stared long and hard at his butler, trying to comprehend the depths of his words. "You have _got_ to be kidding me. What are you trying to say? You were frightened of everything that _walked_?"

"Everything that _breathed_, my Lord." Sebastian threw Ciel a wicked grin.

"… I can't believe what I've heard. _You_, of all people… " Ciel sighed. "It is very difficult for me to imagine you being so… spineless."

Sebastian sent a look of mock hurt in his young lord's direction. "You fail to recall everything that had happened to me up until that point. It was those events that created that 'spineless' part of me and it only got worse."

Ciel stared down at the bed sheets. True enough, imagining Sebastian behaving so cowardly was incredibly alien. He did take his past into consideration but let's face it, the little Phantomhive was not the most empathetic of people. You might think he would be considering his own past but all that did was further barricade him from the real- all he saw was his own pain and no one else's.

He was not able to sympathize with Sebastian because he only ever cared about himself. He refused to witness the pain and suffering of others because his own pain bound and gagged him from reality. His own shattered life was a curtain that hid everything and everyone else from view where not only could he no longer be seen, but so he could not see anything else around him. This way, he was able to blindly walk his path while blissfully ignoring those who cried for his help and pleaded for his understanding and mercy. It did not matter who it was or what bondage held them because all Ciel cared about was himself and what _he_ wanted. Giving a damn about others, he believed, would only hold him back from the path he currently walked upon and, although he would never admit this even to himself, he was afraid of being held back and even more so of turning around. Going forward was always so much easier than going back after all.

"A few years after that happening upon the angels, I was spotted by Daniels and his men and then pursued. They chased me into a forest where I hid myself amongst the canopy. They searched frantically for me and I recall that one of his henchmen claimed to have seen me someplace away from my actual location. Daniels and the other one of his two henchmen went in that direction while the other one strayed away from his spot to look somewhere else."

"You escaped?" Ciel inquired.

"… No."

Ciel's eyes narrowed in confusion and before he could ask him to elaborate, Sebastian continued.

"I had been up in the trees for so long, my legs went numb. I must have made a noise or something that alerted the other henchman to my presence above him. When I tried to escape, my legs would not move and the next thing I knew, I could feel razor sharp claws slashing into my wings. I turned around to see that very same demon with his claws dug into my feathers. He then told me to 'have a safe trip' before he shoved me out of the tree.

"The tree was probably over 500 feet from the ground and with none of my limbs functioning properly I ended up plummeting straight down. When I impacted, many of my bones were shattered and split my lungs, gouged my heart, and ripped into my guts. Daniels and his men saw me in my decrepit condition and decided that I was either dead or dying, so they left me be.

"What I realized that day was that I truly was not safe anywhere and any creature of any sorts held the power to destroy me. I do not know how long I laid there for but it was absolute agony. I was in the dark, my senses were dull, there was tremendous pain everywhere in my body, and I thought I was dead. I recall deciding that I did not like death at all and I almost fell to the inexcusable act of praying to leave that hellacious tomb. I remember vowing to do anything to survive and I knew that the only way that would be accomplished, would be if I had conquered everyone else before they could even have the chance to get rid of me.

"I've been incredibly distorted and royally messed up since that day. When I came to realize that I was not yet dead, I took the chance to try to change the course of my life. I do not know how long I was in that dark place but when I had finally emerged, I already knew that something was different… no, _everything_ was different. I took no notice of such a change at the time and all I can say now is that I wish I had."

Ciel was dumbstruck. He had no idea Sebastian had gone through so much. He could see how incredibly disturbed and regretful he seemed… quite, quite different from his usual confident, cheery demeanor. It bothered him to see his demon in such a state of unhappiness and insecurity.

His eyes never quite seemed to focus on whatever he was looking at, which at this moment, happened to be Ciel's bedroom floor. Rather they seemed to be looking through it, seeing into nothing; nothing _tangible _anyway. Perhaps he was looking back into the past? Re-watching his most shameful moments again and again… something like that would have been enough to drive Ciel mad, and in fact, it _did- _just about every day. Everyday his brain pushed that wretched replay in his memory on that one grueling month.

Sebastian's head hung slightly as if waiting for his master to assault him with a barrage of insults about his weakness, however none came.

Sebastian dared to look up into his little master's blue and purple eyes. What he saw in them was not disgust or repulsion, but uncertainty and maybe, though perhaps he was just imagining it, _concern_? Or maybe… it was _sympathy_, something Ciel never dared to express. After all, who else on this planet could possibly understand his pain, let alone suffer enough for Ciel to understand _theirs_?

After a long, brutal silence, the little Phantomhive looked his butler square in the eye and asked him: "Were you gone?"

Sebastian stared deep into his young lord's eyes before replying, chuckling darkly: "Driven past the edge of sanity, my Lord."

_You would not normally think of demons as creatures of sanity. You would never think that we would have any ounce of it at all, but it's there. Believe it or not, we are not the complete savages that angels and reapers make us out to be. We know the difference between right and wrong as do most beings of this world and like most of those beings, we decide the path we walk for ourselves… if we are lucky enough, anyway._

_I, unfortunately, took the wrong one. _

_Death, carnage, mayhem, destruction, total annihilation of every living thing around me, et cetera, et cetera and so on. You name it, and I did it and all because I was too frightened to face the world. I denied reality. Instead, I hid myself amidst the hazy fog that promised me ignorance and safety. The fog of course, being the wall of countless bodies that I piled up high during those centuries I spent on a murderous rampage. _

"I had an insatiable thirst for blood and so I ravaged the four worlds, killing everything in my wake and all because I believed that that would shield me against anything that threatened my survival. After all, any idiot knows that what is not there cannot harm you. Unfortunately, I am afraid that was the extent of my intelligence at that point.

"In the end, the four heads of each world, William, the Reaper, Ash, the Angel, Daniel, the Prime Minister, and Henry VIII, the King of England, banded together to put an end to my killing spree. They led me into a trap where they sealed me into an impenetrable armor of rock.

"Over time, I suppose I sunk underground and developments were built above me. After a few centuries, I heard you summoning me and I managed to gather the strength I needed to break free and come to you. I was actually amazed at how small my new master was," Sebastian smirked; Ciel glared.

"Something else that amazed me was the fact that I had retained almost every drop of my power despite being dormant for so long." Sebastian looked thoughtful while Ciel stared suspiciously at him with a cold, calculating expression.

"So what happened? You were a mad mass-murderer. How has that changed?"

A distant look materialized in Sebastian's eyes. "If anything good came about that sealing, it was that it gave me the time, peace, and safety I needed to realize just how messed up I was. I recall a part of me, literally battling the other. Eventually, this part of my mind gained control and grew stronger as the homicidal Michaelis persona grew weaker. It was not long before 'I' had complete control."

"And when you did, you escaped?"

"Not immediately. I still could not move, but you summoning me was the last push I needed to finally break free and escape."

Ciel let a shit-eating smirk cross his regal features before replying: "So in other words, I broke you out of jail- you owe me."

Sebastian's face flickered with surprise before his thin lips melted down into a tight frown, his eyes flashing slightly, full of malice. Ciel held his smirk as he watched his normally calm butler lose that composure, and let's face it, he loved it when he could make his demon lose control as it was a sight he was not so accustomed to witnessing. As if his already engorged ego was not satisfied enough- he always felt powerful when he could watch Sebastian lose that mask of airy confidence.

"I owe _nothing_ to a mere mortal, _young master_," Sebastian spat out, venom lacing his sharp edged insult.

Ciel's smirk simply widened. "Of course not, wouldn't want to tarnish your pride by being indebted to a mere human for freeing you. However, I do not believe you have any cause for worry concerning that, Sebastian. After all, you can't tarnish what you don't have."

Sebastian's frown burned deeper into his angelic face and his eyes flashed again. Ciel took the silence to continue.

"You were a complete cowardly mess your entire life. You killed everyone you came across, ended up getting trapped in rock for centuries, and when you finally _do _get a grip on yourself, you end up indebted and playing the lowly servant to a mere human, and a child no less. If you had any ounce of pride, it died a long time ago. You even had a homosexual relationship. You disgust me, you know that?"

Finally Sebastian's smirk returned, though the supposed amusement it offered did not quite reach his eyes. "I do, and I would not have it any other way, my Lord."

"Good. So will finally answer my question? Why did you seem so out of it back there and why did transform into your demonic form while attacking Claude?"

Sebastian contemplated his answer while staring seemingly through Ciel's eyes and to the wall behind him. Finally he spoke, voice uncharacteristically soft. "Drudging up old memories, my Lord. While it was against my intentions, Michaelis has, to some degree, awakened from his dormancy. You see, once I had complete control over both of us, I chained him into the deepest corner of my mind. I have never, nor will ever, wish for his freedom. However, some of my worst memories were jarred during the fight and that may have been enough to shock Michaelis awake, even enough for him to be able to speak to me, something he has not been able to do for almost two centuries."

"So what does this mean?"

"I think my Lord, that something evil way beyond comprehension is stirring. He vowed to me that he would escape from me, he views my mind as his cell and my persona, his shackles… something he is finally correct about."

Without another word, Sebastian stood up and bowed slightly to Ciel, silently bidding him a good night while tucking him in, before grabbing the candelabra, turning, and heading out the door. Ciel's eyes slid closed as his handsome butler swiftly and quietly shut the bedroom door, leaving his little master to ponder the severity of their situation.

Sebastian made it seem as though he and Michaelis were two different people in one body, which he supposed they were, considering what he knows about his butler and what he's been told of Michaelis. He knew his demon was incredibly strong, physically, but it does not appear that he is all that powerful mentally. It seems that he has a weak mind when it comes to his past, probably due to Michaelis. Up until a few hours ago, Sebastian was as mentally perfect as a demon could get, especially since he _is_ the perfect butler, or now apparently, _was_.

With this in mind, if Michaelis had truly awakened, then is Sebastian now in danger of losing his mind to his counterpart? It did not seem possible, but his butler seems to believe it is a probability, which angered the young Phantomhive.

If _Sebastian_ was worried about this, then it must be something dire and it should not be taken lightly. But what could he do? This whole situation seemed to lay upon his demon's shoulders, and that it was his burden alone to bear.

This unnerved Ciel greatly because if Sebastian ends up falling to his alter ego, who's to say that Michaelis will be willing to following Sebastian's footsteps and stay as the servant to a cheeky, arrogant child who does whatever he needs to do in order to get what he wants and never looks back?

No, if Sebastian loses to him, Ciel had no doubt that he would be killed, and then how will he ever accomplish his revenge?

* * *

><p><strong>AN****: I gave you all a longer chapter this time, hopefully to make up for not updating for so long! :D**

**Anyway, this is pretty much the full explanation of what happened in Sebastian's past and, though it seems obvious, Ciel does not like it at all. Of course, Ciel only ever cares for himself and has no regards for others' pain. **

**What a selfish brat...**

**Okay, so hopefully, I will have another chapter up by Wednesday! See you then!**

**Reviews please! :D**


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